Now, Tomorrow, Always
by Aerys Krystie
Summary: DISCONTINUED. WILL BE TAKEN DOWN 12/15/2013. Check Author's Note on the last chapter for explanations if you need them, please.
1. Now, Tomorrow, Always I

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

**Plot:** Reno and Vincent, what more needs to be said?

**Warnings:** Yaoi, sexual content, language, slight violence.

**Disclaimer:** We don't own the boys. God we wish we did.

**A/N:** Lunar approached me with this, and for some weird reason (under an influence, I believe) I agreed to it.

~ * ~

"Fuck!"

Popcorn exploded onto the tiled floor as Reno jumped to his feet. He stared at the dead television, wondering what just happened. The blank screen smiled tauntingly at him as he strode across the popcorn minefield.

"Sonofabitch!" Reno shouted as a rather undercooked kernel jabbed his bare foot painfully, quite possibly only adding to his anger.

He turned his attention back to the defiant television, seized the knobs and twiddled violently. How was this possible? The goddamn thing wasn't that old, so this shouldn't be happening. True, he'd kicked it on many occasions, needing to blame _something_ for the shit they show on the air these days...but still, it should work.

"I...do...not...need...this!" Reno shouted, pounding his fist on top of the offending idiot-box. What he hadn't really expected was for it to edge its way off of the unit and land on his already injured foot. With an almighty roar, he stumbled backwards, trying to drag his poor limb out from under it. As a result, the redhead lost his balance and crashed to the popcorn littered floor, temporarily stunned.

Laying on the floor gave Reno an opportunity to take a look at the ceiling light. Not that it usually interested him...but now it was dead. Like the TV.

Throughout this ordeal, Rude had been casually observing from the kitchen door, one eyebrow cocked in amusement. It was entertaining, really, watching Reno's cogs working this hard to figure the situation out. He wasn't stupid, his attention span just wasn't what it should be. Living with Reno was like having a TV turned up very loud in another room..._all the time._ And the people of Midgar had turned up on the doorstep a couple of times, asking that someone please turn it down.

Rude never bothered to let them know that it wasn't a television.

Suddenly, a light went on over Reno's head, and it wasn't the ceiling light.

"RUDE!" he shouted, "I've figured out what's wrong! The power's gone out!"

Reno turned his head to see if the kitchen light was on, and spotted Rude. Reno couldn't see his face, but he knew what expression Rude would be wearing.

The "Congratulations, Prince Putz" look. A degrading and hurtful, but sometimes appropriate look, reserved for Reno alone. It was a very effective way of making Reno remember his anger.

"What the _fuck _are you looking at?"

But, as usual, Rude was already gone.

* * *

Not finding anything productive to do in a house with no power, Reno decided to go and see how the rest of the city was dealing with this plight. Really, he just wanted to leech off of someone's TV. Self-preservation, and all that. First stop: Cloud's place. He didn't really know anyone else in Midgar these days.

"But so help me, if their power's off...I'll pound down every door in the city." Reno muttered.

There was an orange glow about tonight. It was a warm evening, although not one Reno particularly wanted to be out in. He detested the heat, and high summer didn't help his already volatile temperament. In a fit of frustration over the humidity earlier that day, he'd simply resorted to ripping his shirt sleeves off. T-shirts were _not_ his thing. Although if Reno had looked in the mirror, he might have realised that a mutilated button-up shirt and baggy sweats weren't, either.

Reno had a rather interesting ability to pull certain things off, though, and he knew it.

Midgar was a better place these days. Cleaner and safer. Not by a lot, but a little went a long way in a place like this. It was mostly the attitudes of the people that had changed. They were willing to help eachother out, which nobody is willing to do when they're living in fear. Just simple things. Reno liked being able to ask his neighbours to borrow milk. He never had to, but they had many times before and he was sure that they'd do the same for him if he asked. That was really where the difference lay: people weren't afraid to ask for help.

Cloud and the rest of the bunch weren't living too far from Reno and Rude. Their living conditions were somewhat different, though. Rude had been able to track down a little flat, and Reno had agreed to it straight away. It was big enough for both of them, and the rent was low. Everything they'd needed.

But Cloud's house was...almost ridiculous.

Sure, seven people needed to squeeze into it...but _why_ did they need turrets?!

It was nice, though. Reno had been there a few times. Tifa liked to feed him up whenever he happened to appear. The kids liked him as well; the little girl, Marlene, really liked his hair. Denzel was a weird one, though. He noticed Reno's hair too, but as a result, refused to believe that he wasn't a girl.

Reno hadn't bothered to pursue that, though. He had no doubt it was Cloud's influence.

Hopefully a fancy house like that was blackout-proof.

* * *

"You're late, dinner's ready. Sit down."

Reno blinked. Why did bursting through the door never shock her? Tifa hadn't even come to see who it was, she'd just shouted from the direction of the kitchen.

"Everyone else takes a second to knock, Reno." Tifa said, appearing in the front hall, a laugh in her voice.

Reno scowled. "Does your-"

"And since the power is out _everywhere,_ I knew you'd be round. Eating's the next best thing to you, after all."

Reno noticed the candles on the sideboard next to the door and realised what Tifa was saying. He swore under his breath.

Tifa looked at him, a hint of warning in her eyes. She let it go, though, and gestured towards the dining room.

"Come on, your place is set." She said.

Reno slammed the heavy door behind him, and followed Tifa down the hall. She had a dishtowel draped over her shoulder, and her hair tied back.

_Cooking in a hot kitchen in weather like this must be hell_, Reno reflected.

The dining room was liike the rest of the house: shiny. Tifa didn't slack off on the housework, and she never let anyone else get away with it, either.

The table was set for only four people, Reno noticed.

"Who's here?" He asked, slumping down into a chair in that special way of his.

"Just me and the kids. Cid's off seeing if he can help get the power back on, Red's with him; Cloud's out at the Orphanage, you know how enthusiastic he is."

Reno snickered at his own private joke. "I'll bet he is."

"...and Vincent's up in the library."

Reno took a moment to remember who Vincent was, before it clicked. He was the one that slinked around, not talking to anyone. The anti-social outcast of the entire city.

Tifa called out to the kids, and they came running. Their feet pounded down the staircase like a herd of behemoths.

"Reno!"

Reno heard his name shouted before an ecstatic Marlene pounced on him, grinning and giggling...and kind of cutting off his air supply.

"Whoa, when did you get so fat?" Reno teased, earning himself a childish punch in the arm.

True to tradition, Marlene started playing with Reno's long red hair. She had a fascination, reserved for Reno alone.

"Hey, it's HER!"

Denzel had squirmed into the chair opposite Reno. He waved, as if Reno may not be able to hear him say hello.

_Well, for someone so small, that table must seem a mile across. _Reno thought.

"Soup, Reno?"

Tifa had finally sat down. She lifted a heavy silver ladle and smiled cheerily.

"I was lucky tonight. I made the rolls earlier today, and finished the lamb before the power cut out."

"And you pulled the soup out of _where_, exactly?" Reno asked over Marlene's head.

"Oh, I made that yesterday. Soup is always better when it's a day old." Tifa ladled the day-old soup into Reno's bowl. He wrinkled his nose.

Marlene scrambled out of his lap and took her place next to him.

"Reno, our TV and lights aren't working! Are yours?" She enquired.

Reno remembered the popcorn.

"Oh yeah, even my popcorn machine." He replied.

Dinner soothed Reno's feeling a little. The TV incident was traumatic enough without adding bad food to the equation. And Tifa was right about the soup.

_Would it work with a burger? _

After Tifa gathered up the dishes, she told the kids it was time for bed. Denzel pointed at Reno.

"Why doesn't _she_ have to go to bed?" He asked.

"Ok, that little punk needs some sleep, he sounds cranky." Reno replied loudly. He hadn't yet mastered the ability to avoid arguments with children.

Tifa gave Reno another one of those looks that was reserved for him. This was the "Grow Up" look.

"Reno, will be leaving soon. Say goodnight, you two,"

Denzel stood still, but Marlene threw her tiny frame into Reno's arms.

"Can I have a goodnight hug, Reno?" She asked.

"You can have a goodnight hug, _and _a goodnight kiss." Reno replied, planting a dainty smooch on Marlene's smooth cheek. She giggled.

"That's enough," Said Tifa. "Reno has to go home to bed too, you know."

"No, he needs to go to the pub." Reno muttered. Tifa heard, and shot him an exasperated look.

Denzel deigned to wave at Reno again before chasing Marlene upstairs.

"So," Tifa began. " getting plastered is the third best thing now?"

Reno nodded primly. "And getting laid."

Tifa put one hand over her face and sighed, "Reno..."

"Actually," Reno went on. "Getting laid is fighting for position number two, now that I've eaten."

"Go, go." Tifa said, waving a hand at him.

Reno chuckled and stood up to go. He didn't thank her for dinner, but he patted her on the shoulder as he left, which was really the same thing.

~ * ~

End Chapter I.


	2. Now, Tomorrow, Always II

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

Reno had always been a master of "The Grand Entrance.".

How it happened, he never knew. He maintained that the chair had been blocking the doorway, and that it was someone else's stupidity and carelessness that caused it.

In fact, the chair was a full three feet to the left of the door.

In fact, there was a mirror above it on the wall, and Reno was, in fact, like a budgerigar: drawn to mirrors. Though he still maintained his defence.

He collided with the rickety chair and ended up on the floor.

"The Grand Entrance."

Nobody else in the pub had really noticed, though. Reno's sense of humiliation wasn't noticably developed, so it wouldn't have bothered him if they did.

Picking himself up, Reno strolled through the smoky pub towards the bar. The floor was always filthy here, and the furniture was run down. There was graffiti on the walls, the bartender had never heard of a coaster, and the music was awful. In short: it was a dive. This place wasn't a favourite venue of his, there was no shortage of pubs in Midgar. There were much nicer places scattered around the huge city, but Reno usually stuck to this one. He had a good reason. He was too lazy to head on into the others.

The drinks here were cheaper, too.

Reno was still brushing the dust and grit off of his shirt as he sat on a rather hazardous looking stool at the bar. Since Tifa had cut back, the owner had found himself having to bartend a few nights. He was sliming around at the other end of the bar at this moment.

"Hey." Reno called.

The barkeep looked at Reno as if he'd interrupted something important, but greased his way towards him.

Reno ordered, and noticed the filthy look on the barkeep's face.

"What? I'm paying." He said.

When Reno had once again managed to get his drink without arguing with the bartender, he swiveled round on his stool, and surveyed the pub.

He hadn't been joking with Tifa. The idea popped into his head when he'd mentioned the pub. Reno's forays into the pub were many, but travelling into the no-man's land of sex was a little rare. Something else he could only be bothered with every now and then. When he _could _be bothered, on the other hand...he could really have anyone he desired.

Four drinks later, Reno was still keeping an eye out for someone to play with.

Reno was a master of the one night stand. He was a greedy person by nature, but he did manage to make sure nobody else had any regrets. Well, while they were with him, at least. They might be beating themselves up after they walked out of his door, but certainly not before.

Tonight, however, the pickings were slim.

The smoky hell was mostly inhabited by paunchy laborers tonight.

So Reno downed his sixth and seventh drinks.

On the eighth, someone showed up. He'd actually appeared around the fourth drink, but Reno's reactions were already a little slowed by that point, so it took another four drinks to notice.

This particular character was sitting in the furthest corner of the room. Long dark hair. Headband. Black button-down shirt. Staring into his drink. Reno was shocked at how pale he seemed. His face was almost glowing through the smoke.

Overall, very nice.

And _very _fuckable.

So good things did come along in this place if one waited long enough. Reno had waited long enough to down nearly nine drinks, plus a cigarette butt, before things finally got interesting.

Reno stood up and walked toward the character in the corner, thinking how lucky it was that those drinks were cheap.

* * *

The stuffy and vile odor of sweat and smoke did not mix well with the cheap swill this bar was passing off as wine, Vincent noted. He was already nauseated from the first sip of the wine. He wasn't about to let it go to waste, though. He had paid for it, Vincent figured he would be able to stomach it, if he held his breath.

Vincent sat in the darkest corner of the bar, in hopes he would be able to escape the horrid stench, with no luck. His eyes had already scanned the people when he entered, recognising most of them from around town, when he left the house during the daylight hours. He had slipped past one in particular, not wanting to be noticed or wanting to be disturbed.

The better part of Vincent's day had been taken up with reading, trying to figure out what had gone wrong with Cloud's bike. Even with a new battery, the engine wouldn't click over, and seeing as Vincent didn't have much to do with his time, he offered to read up about them and see if it was stated in a book somewhere.

On the plus side, it gave him a reason to really not interact much with the other occupants of the house he was living in. Vincent had no problems with any of them, except Cid's gutter mouth and his total disrespect to almost everyone. Since he had started the orphanage, Cloud was around even less. The only half way intelligent conversation he had was with Red, otherwise known as the pet.

Vincent adored the children, though babysitting was not for him, at least not large periods of time. Even though it was easy to keep the two of them entertained at the same time. Marlene would play with his hair, while he played toy soldiers with Denzel.

Vincent's attention was drawn to the bar as the person he didn't want to notice him, as he slammed his glass down and shouted, "Boo-_yah_!"

Raising an eyebrow, Vincent was not sure if he wanted to know what the redhead was drinking or what 'Boo-yah' meant. He lowered his gaze back to the hideous looking liquid in his glass again. _Does cheap have to mean bad?_ he wondered as he took another sip. He inwardly flinched as the drink seemed to sink to the bottom of his stomach.

Dispite not wanting to draw attention to himself, Vincent looked back over to the tipsy redhead at the bar as he lit a cigarette, as a fresh drink was placed in front of him. Vincent almost smirked when the lit cigarette was dropped into the new drink and the look of utter dismay upon the face of the redhead. It didn't last long, as the man lit a new one, unfocusedly glancing around the room, getting ready to take a gulp of the cigarette infested drink.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to keep his own drink down if he saw the man swallow, Vincent went back to looking at his drink. His attention was drawn to the light reflecting off a clear button of his shirt. He had no idea why he actually dressed up for this little outing.

Taking a deep breath, Vincent took another sip of the wine and closed his eyes. They opened when someone shouted. His eyes went instantly to the man at the bar, seeing that it wasn't him - and being a little surprised by it - he scanned the room, seeing it was a drunk that fell over.

Taking another quick glance at the redhead, Vincent was vaguely astonished to see he was staring back. After a second, Vincent averted his eyes back to the glass and he noticed a stain he never saw before. It turned him off the drink and he pushed it away. Watching the glass slide along the tabletop, a movement, other than the dirty glass, caught his attention. He had a sinking feeling as he saw it was the redhead making his way towards him.

~ * ~

End Chapter II.

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	3. Now, Tomorrow, Always III

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

Reno didn't really sit down so much as collapsed.

He set his drink down on the filthy table along with the one he'd grabbed for his conquest. Reno noticed that the dark-haired man had pushed his own drink away, and decided to use this as an opening.

" I know, I know," He said cockily." why drink that when you can have the one I got you?"

The dark man didn't look at him. Didn't even seem to notice he was there. Reno knew the type. They liked playing the hard-to-get game.

"So what's a shithole like you doing in a beauty like this?" Reno asked, lighting another cigarette and not really catching onto what had just come out of his own mouth.

No reply.

"I know what you're wondering," Reno stated sagely. "why am I approaching you? Go on, tell me why."

The dark-haired man stayed impassive, staring at the tabletop. Reno wondered if he was deaf...or tapped.

"Alright," Reno leaned forwards, eyes wide. " do you want to see how big my tazer is?"

Nothing.

"Seriously, it's totally _electric._" Reno burst out laughing at his own joke, attempted to lean his forehead on his hand, missed, and bashed his head on the table. Fortunately, he was someone who bounced back easily, and he was on a _roll _here.

"Ow." Reno moaned a little. "Want to kiss it better for me?"

Reno may have imagined the slight raising of the dark man's eyebrow, but he went for it.

"You _so _totally want to smile. See? You're smiling on the inside. I'm always smiling on the inside. Reno magic, and all that. You should try some."

This was getting ridiculous. This had to be someone who wasn't catching onto what he was saying. Even those hard-to-get ones didn't hold out this long.

"But for Reno magic to work, you have to, you know..._take orally._"

This was taking too long. Reno was getting quite seriously fucked off now. He decided to just cut it short so he could go home and get down to business. Rude locked the doors at midnight, and Reno hadn't ever had a key he didn't lose.

"Okay, Cupcake." Reno leaned in again. " Come back to mine, and bone me."

"Cupcake's" head raised slowly to face Reno. He looked blank, and maybe...a little irritated.

"No, thanks." "Cupcake" said, standing, and exiting the bar quickly, but with grace.

Reno got a split second view of Cupcake's tight leather pants.

_Nobody _with an ass that good rejected Reno.

_I was just rejected. _Reno thought, shocked, and actually a little sobered.

"Fuck you, Cupcake!" Reno shouted, jumping to his feet and tossing his chair aside. He was completely oblivious to everyone in the bar staring as he stormed out of the pub.

Reno burst out onto the street, head snapping wildly from left to right, looking for the bastard. He spotted the dark-haired man walking a little way off. Reno pelted after him.

"Hey!" He shouted. "_Hey!_"

Mr High-and-Mighty didn't turn around, or stop, or even slow.

Reno caught up with him and jumped in front. The man didn't stop even then, so Reno was forced to walk backwards.

" You rejected _me_?" Reno said indignantly. "Who could do that? Look at me! No,seriously-"

Reno turned around and pulled his sweats tight against his ass.

"That?! Who rejects that?"

Cupcake kept moving, impassive once again.

Reno was out of control now. He ripped his shirt open and gestured towards himself.

"And this! You are going to allow yourself to miss out on this? Are you insane?!"

At this point, there were actually a few people around, all staring at the red-headed spectacle.

"Do you see how the masses stop and stare? What's wrong with you?" Reno shouted, sorely disturbed now.

Cupcake sped up his pace, and Reno was still too inebriated to be able to keep up with him. He fell back as Cupcake passed him. Reno stopped in his tracks, and watched the crazy person head towards a house on the other side of the street. He found a whole new level of frustration.

"And when I said 'tazer'...I meant my COCK!" Reno screeched.

Cupcake reached his front door, and stopped for the first time since he left the pub. He threw a dead look at Reno over his shoulder.

"Boo-yah." He called in a monotone voice, and disappeared inside.

Reno stood still, completely outraged. He noticed the innocent bystanders who had stopped to enjoy the show. They were staring at him.

"What?" Reno said. " I really was talking about my cock."

~ * ~

End Chapter III.

Thanks to Namantos for your review. Hope you enjoy this chapter also!


	4. Now, Tomorrow, Always IV

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

Reno was lucky to get inside, after having spent fifteen minutes inside the run-down elevator, playing with the buttons. As a result, he just got to his door five minutes before his unofficial "curfew". He stumbled in the door, leaving it gaping wide open and turning a sloppy pirouette...just out of restlessness. He was trying to get off the floor when Rude brushed past him and closed the door. He turned and offered Reno his hand, but the red-head smacked it aside and dragged himself to his feet.

"Where were you?" Rude asked, watching Reno try to struggle out of his clothes. Reno leaned into Rude's face, swaying with his arms tangled up in his shirt.

"Cock." He said, and burst into laughter.

Rude walked towards the kitchen and turned on the lounge room light.

"The power's back on, by the way." He said.

"Yeah," said Reno, finally out of his shirt, "I noticed by the way the light's bouncing off your head."

Rude smirked, and watched Reno begin struggling with his pants. He was trying to undo buttons and zippers that didn't exist. Quite a good crack, he had to give Reno that.

"Boo-yah." Rude said, referring to their little personal joke.

Reno whirled around and pointed at Rude.

"_Don't_ say that." He warned feircely.

Rude wondered.

Having given up on the pants, Reno collapsed onto the couch, one arm hanging down the side. He turned his head and noticed something.

"Why didn't you clean the popcorn, you lazy prick?" Reno demanded.

Rude looked his drunken friend in the eye.

"Cock." He said, and walked out.

Reno stared at the popcorn on the tiles for a moment, scooped up a handful, and fell asleep with it all over his face.

* * *

Vincent removed his headband, letting his hair fall free for the first time that day. Running his fingers through his hair with one hand, he placed his headband on the counter beside the basin in the bathroom. He turned the cold water on and splashed some on his face. With his wet hands, he ran them through his hair, dampening it.

Turning the water off, Vincent watched as the water went down the drain. He blinked as he thought back to the redhead and frowned. He knew that man had had a little too much to drink.

Raising his head slowly, Vincent stared at his reflection, blinking. He looked for a few minutes, trying to find what Reno saw or what he didn't see. Pushing his hair off his forehead, Vincent stared at the scars that ran across. It was one of the bitter reminders of a weary sigh, Vincent let his hair fall down again and dried his face. He turned, facing the shower, staring at the glass door.

Not wanting to but needing to, Vincent opened the door and turned the cold water on. It was too warm to have a hot shower. Stepping under the spray, his body tensed a little from the sudden chill. He washed his body quickly, turned the shower off, stepped out, grabbed a towel, wrapped it around his hips, picked up his headband and left the bathroom, turning the light off.

Going down the hall to the last room on the left, Vincent closed the door quietly behind him. He placed his headband on a bedside chest and dried his body off, carefully discarding the towel into the corner behind the door. He laid on the bed, staring at the dark ceiling. _Why me?_

Not once in his existance, even when put to sleep, had Vincent ever felt as terrified as he had in and out of the bar with Reno. Maybe it was the way that the redhead worded what he said or perhaps it was that someone found him attractive enough to want to bed him. That was a frightening thought. Maybe even a little disgusting, though Vincent didn't know why he should feel that way. He knew how people were.

Vincent shook his head. He had no idea what he was thinking. The man was drunk and rather offensive to the nose. In fact, he was an offense to almost all five senses. Alcohol had managed to make Vincent question himself and that was a little unnerving, and not a thought he was comfortable with.

Raising his claw, Vincent looked it over and let out a silent sigh. It glinted in the moonlight streaming through the window. It was as if it was smiling, cruel and unwavering; sadistic and taunting. He placed the claw on the bedside chest, adjacent to his headband.

No. Reno had been drunk. This would have never have happened without the alcohol. Turning onto his right side, Vincent closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.

~ * ~

End Chapter IV.

Thanks to Namantos for her support.


	5. Now, Tomorrow, Always V

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

There were some things that offended and outraged Reno in the worst way possible. The window in his bedroom being one of them. With a loud snort, the redhead woke, waving his arms fervently, trying to defend himself against the bright sunlight beating down on his face. Curtains are a must for anyone who suffers a hangover every other day.

Grabbing his pillow and taking aim, Reno hurled it at the window, moaning a self-composed song.

"Sun, sun, go away and ...don't...come back."

Reno was genuinely shocked that the pillow and mantra did nothing to eradicate the sun....throwing things usually worked with everything. He buried his head under the covers, rubbing his face. It ached. So did his eyes. And everything else.

"Pain hurts," he muttered sarcastically.

Matters weren't improved when someone pounded on his door. It had to be Rude. He would have carried Reno to his bed in the first place. Reno groaned and flapped his hand at the door, not having the energy to shout. Rude knocked again. Reno knew well enough that Rude didn't actually want anything. He just wanted to piss Reno off, which had proved effective in getting him out of bed so far. Reno decided that maybe it was time to see the damage. Dragging himself out of bed, he headed towards the mirror on his wall. He did pause to pick up one of his shoes and hurl it at the door.

"See how you like it..."

The door swung open at this point and Rude strode into the room. He'd been out of commission, Turk-wise, for quite a while. But he still wore those damned suits.

"The shoe again, right?" he enquired, heading over to the mirror and leaning against the wall next to it.

Reno didn't answer. He was too busy mourning over his appearance. His hair looked like small animals had nested in it. His eyes were puffy and bagged.

"Urgh." Reno groaned, dragging his fingers down his face.

Rude peered at the redhead's reflection.

"You don't look much better from this end, either, friend." he commented.

Reno scowled at his friend and went back to salvaging his hair.

"In fact," continued Rude, " you remind me of my Grandmother."

"Yeah, well, you know...I'd probably look better in the reflection from your head." snapped Reno.

Rude grinned.

"Good to see the back chat's up and running."

He turned from Reno and headed towards the door.

" Rise and shine, Cupcake." He said as he left.

Reno stared at his door, confused.

"Cupca---"

Then:

" Oh, God..."

As everything from the previous night came flooding back, stinging Reno's brain and making his eyes water, he crouched down on the floor and hid his face in his hands.

Cupcake.

The dark-haired man.

_Cloud and Tifa's friend._

Vincent.

Reno rocked himself back and forth on the floor, mouthing the words from the night before:

"_A shithole like you...Reno magic...bone me? And...and..."_

" TAZER!" Reno shouted.

He was close to sobbing, when Rude walked back in, with Reno's _actual _tazer in hand. He held the EMR out.

" Did you really want this," Rude asked." or did you manage to hit some poor bastard with the 'want to see my tazer?' line again?"

Reno managed to compact himself down even more.

" I want it so I can electrocute myself to death."

Rude sat down on Reno's bed.

"I suppose I'll keep it for a bit then." he said. "what happened?"

" Oh I don't know, I called someone a 'shithole', asked him to bone me, chased him down the street, exposed myself to him, and told him and some pedestrians about my cock...very loudly."

Rude considered the balled up redhead for a moment.

"You made the tazer joke too, didn't you?"

Reno's head snapped up and glared at Rude.

" How else do you think we got onto the subject of my cock?"

Rude didn't really think it was necessary to keep saying that word, but he let it go. Reno was almost at the point of conjuring up a rift in the space time continuum in order to change what happened. Reno didn't get embarassed very easily, and especially not when under the influence. Reno must have gone a little bit further than usual, though. He didn't usually get so bad that he broke down the next morning.

"Get on the bed, Reno, you're being over-dramatic."

Reno had become rather listless all of a sudden, so he obeyed, flopping back onto his bed and hugging a pillow.

"Why did you chase this person?" Rude asked, curiously.

An indistinct mumble came from Reno.

"Reno?"

Reno looked up at Rude, and sighed heavily and wearily.

"I..." Reno let out another pained sigh, "I was...rejected."

With that, the wounded redhead buried his face in his pillow.

Rude was genuinely shocked. A little. Reno wasn't on the pull, so to speak, all the time. When he was, however, he was never rejected. Rude had been around the house when Reno did bring someone home enough to know how easily he attracted people.

" Well..." Rude began. " It's one in many, who really cares about some no name?"

Reno growled into his pillow.

"No name, right."

Reno sat up and glared at Rude.

" His name was Vincent."

Rude looked surprised for a brief moment before regaining his composure.

" Reno," he said, standing up, " are you insane?"

With that, Rude left the room for a second time that morning.

Reno sat alone, looking at his pillow. He didn't know Vincent, but Reno knew he was important to Cloud's family. There must be a good reason for that. Reno liked being on good terms with Cloud, and especially Tifa. He didn't want this to screw that up.

That aside, Reno had had plenty of drunks breathing down his neck. Often enough to know that this Vincent can't have enjoyed it. Reno was an empathetic person. He didn't like hurting people, and he liked to make amends when he did. Reno knew he wouldn't feel right again until he did something about this.

At that point, Rude's voice floated down the hall.

" You know what you have to do."

Reno decided it was time for a shower. And then a stroll over to Cloud's house.

~ * ~

End Chapter V.

Thanks to Namantos, Santiana, Alexia, and Saint of The Lost Ones for reviewing.


	6. Now, Tomorrow, Always VI

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

Behind a large, dark wood table, with various books spread out across it, stood Vincent, staring down at the books and sheets of paper. The little problem with Fenrir was proving to be a tad annoying. Every book they owned within the massive library at the house offered no help. There was always the option of taking the machine to a mechanic, but Cloud would feel terrible if Cid ever found out.

Vincent turned a page in a thick book of mechanics when the door to the library opened and Tifa entered, a cup of tea in hand. She set it down on the corner of the table, moving to stand beside Vincent and look over the books and...where did he get blueprints from?

"Reno would like to see you. I guess he's discovered literature," Tifa said with a slight laugh in her voice.

"I'm hurt, Tifa," Reno remarked from the doorway.

Reno was feeling a little more confident. Tifa was being totally natural with him, so Reno assumed that Vincent hadn't mentioned the incident to her.

Vincent raised his head, fixing Reno with a gaze that was void of emotion for a second and returning his attention back to the book he was thumbing through. His ears twitched slightly as Tifa left his side.

As she passed Reno, she asked, "Would you like a coffee? We know it's a strain for you being up this early."

Sticking his tongue out, in the most mature manner, Reno accepted.

Left alone now, Reno's eyes travelled up to Vincent. He was poring over his book, apparently completely oblivious to Reno's presence. Reno wondered what he was supposed to say. He was a little uneasy about this, but he knew he wouldn't feel right until he'd apologized.

" I've never been up this early after a night like that before." Reno said, taking a step towards the desk.

Vincent didn't move. Reno had a horrible flashback to last night. He took another step closer.

" It might be hard to believe, but I never actually had a night like that before."

Reno really did want to explain himself, to make it clear that it had just been a bad first impression.

"I don't behave like that, really. I've never talked to anyone that way."

Vincent continued reading, as Reno moved to the front of the desk. Looking at Vincent's left arm, Reno wondered how he hadn't noticed the shining claw the night before. It had to be a pretty bad accident that got you stuck with that thing for life. Reno realised he was beating around the bush. Babbling got him in trouble with this dark-haired man last night. He guessed it was better to just say what he came to say.

"I'm sorry. Really."

Vincent raised his head again, looking Reno in the eye. "Apology accepted." The way he said it, Vincent hoped he got the point across to Reno that their little conversation had ended and there was no need for the redhead to overstay his welcome in the library.

Reno was taken aback. He hadn't expected forgiveness so easily. He wasn't sure Vincent meant it, he was so hard to read. He felt like his apology was incomplete, he wanted to explain himself further. The fact that Vincent had spoken improved Reno's confidence somewhat, anyway. He walked around to the other side of the desk, standing next to the man leaning over it.

" Are you sure you mean it? Because I know it must have been really...embarrassing...for you, and I really don't want you to think the wrong thing about me. I'm not totally shit, really."

Vincent continued to ignore Reno. Reno wasn't the most perceptive person, but he did realise at this point that he probably wasn't going to get anything else out of Vincent. It was strange how it bothered him. After all, he'd said what he needed to, and he didn't know the man anyway. But it still bothered him.

Reno turned and headed towards the door. Vincent didn't look up even when Tifa entered with Reno's coffee. Vincent heard the redhead turn it down.

"Really sorry, but I gotta run."

And he was gone.

* * *

Vincent's shoulders relaxed. They had tensed slightly when Reno stood beside him. Not that Vincent had a problem with it, since it was obvious Reno had invested in a shower and put it to good use. There were just some lines that shouldn't be crossed after last night.

With an inaudiable groan, Vincent sat down in the high backed chair, rubbing his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his good hand. Last night was becoming even more of a problem than Fenrir's engine. Hopefully this would be the last time it was ever mentioned and the last time he would ever think about it.

_Embarrassed? Was I embarrassed?_ Vincent stared at one of the books on the table but not seeing it. _No, I wasn't. Annoyed, but not embarrassed. And no-one who saw would associate me with him._ He was fairly certain that was a good thing, even if it did, in some unknown way, seem like an interesting concept. Perhaps it would make him seem a little more normal.

Vincent blinked at his thoughts. When did being socially accepted matter to him? If society knew the real him, they would lock him away out of fear. Shaking his head, Vincent stood. He didn't have time to dwell on thoughts like those. Reno had apologized. Vincent didn't need one. He knew what people were like under the influence of alcohol. Cloud was the perfect example.

The few times that the blond stumbled into the house, making enough noise to raise the dead on another continent, and yet not managing to wake the children, were few and far apart; even more so now that Cloud was at the orphange everyday. Drunk people always managed to say the worst or most inappropriate thing, most of the time having nothing to do with the current predicament. And then there was their actions.

Vincent scolded himself. Now was not the time to be thinking about anything except finding a solution to Fenrir's irritating problem. He went back to scanning the books. His attention was drawn away from as small pattering feet entered the library. Vincent's eyes softened when he saw Marlene.

"Uncle Vincent!" she squealed, hugging his leg. "Reno was just here!"

Vincent let a gentle smile grace his lips as he unwrapped Marlene's arms from his legs, picked her up and sat her on the table's edge. As he straightened his shoulders, he felt her tug his cape, which meant she wanted to whisper something to him. He lowered his head so she could tell him her secret.

"Do you think Reno would mind if I called him 'uncle'?"

Vincent thought it over and whispered back to the girl, "You should ask him."

Marlene nodded and turned her head to look at the books. "You still haven't found what's wrong?"

Vincent shook his head. "Not yet."

Marlene bit her lower lip but grinned. "You're Uncle Vincent. You can do anything!"

Vincent patted Marlene on the head, moving a book out of the way to pull another forward. They stayed like that until Tifa called out that dinner was ready. Marlene hopped off the table, taking Vincent's hand and, not giving him a chance to say no, dragged him to the dinner table.

~ * ~

End Chapter VI.

Special thanks to:  
Amo, Pederz, Namantos, saint of the lost ones, Alexia and Santiana.  
We love you guys~


	7. Now, Tomorrow, Always VII

**~Now. Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

The heat wave was still continuing. Reno had actually opened his bedroom window tonight, and he lay stretched out naked on his bed, covers forgotten.

The breeze was warm, too, but at least the air in the room was moving.

Reno was having problems sleeping tonight. He was bothered by the events of the day. It wasn't right that in these circumstances, Vincent should forgive him so easily. The thought struck Reno that perhaps Vincent hadn't actually been too upset about what happened. That would make sense, given how closed off he was. He mightn't have even remembered it, because it hadn't been worth his time.

Reno rolled onto his stomach, perplexed. Vincent's character was something he found very confusing. Reno was an open person, he let his feelings show, and he articulated most of the things that came into his head. Therefore, he couldn't understand how someone could survive being the way Vincent was. How did someone keep things inside that way? Unless there really was nothing there.

There had to be something. A person couldn't just be empty. Everyone in Cloud's house held Vincent in such high esteem, and you can't feel that way about a blank page.

Tseng had been very similar. Quiet, broody, no expression. But he and Elena had been very close, close the way Reno and Rude were. Reno had noticed that when they worked together. The two were living together as well, in Wutai. Tseng had gone back to his roots, and Elena was close enough to the man for him to want to include her.

Yes, Reno had met a bit of Vincent in Tseng, but Elena served as his sort of saving grace. Who did Vincent have?

Reno remembered Marlene comparing his hair to Vincent's at one point. She'd said that Vincent's was easier to comb. Vincent didn't seem like someone who'd let a child anywhere near him, yet Marlene obviously loved him. Vincent must have some affection for her if he let her touch his hair. Reno felt slightly hurt...he'd thought it was only his hair that Marlene loved.

Reno wondered how these people had found their way into Vincent's affection. It may have been just the length of association, it must take time to get Vincent to speak more than two words to you.

And the claw. Reno wondered how Vincent had gotten it. He knew Vincent had been part of Cloud's little do-gooder posse. He had to have been in a lot of battles. But Reno didn't understand how it could have just been Vincent who got that injured. Unless it had happened before the whole "Sephiroth-going-insane-for-his-mommy" escapade.

Reno wanted to see Vincent. He was still feeling strange about the rejection. And not just because of the ego. It struck him as a little sad that Vincent had to be a part of the pub disaster.

Reno thought back to the incident at the pub. He tried to remember through the veil of shame and, well, booze. Why had he approached Vincent?

Reno was discerning in that way, when he was on the prowl if he didn't find someone that interested him, he simply went without. It wasn't the end of the world.

There was something interesting about Vincent. Someone who reveals nothing is always inviting curiosity, and Vincent really was the least revealing person there was. But Reno hadn't know that when he'd approached him.

Sure, he'd found Vincent attractive at the pub, and today, in a way, he was still an attractive person. Reno was a little curious as to why Vincent had been wearing a cape in this weather. Even if it was winter, it still seemed like the kind of attire someone would go for if they weren't concerned about how they looked to other people.

Reno's mind was dragged back to Vincent's claw.

Maybe Vincent didn't want anyone to look at him.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why Reno _wanted_ to look at him.

* * *

1 am.

Rude stretched his legs out in front of him. They needed new furniture. The kitchen table was unstable and the chairs were going to give way any day now. Funds were low, though. Reno didn't earn much. He was usually taken on to move things or load things...physical labour that didn't take too much skill. Reno had undergone the same training with the Turks as Rude, but he didn't employ those skills for the purpose of _actual _employment. The redhead was as skilled as Rude. He knew how to observe, and he was a formidable opponent. Those particular skills helped a lot when you were living in Midgar. Bandits and transients of all kinds had settled in around Edge, scrounging and sometimes becoming violent towards travellers. The skills an ex-Turk posessed were valuable when one wanted to hire some "muscle". Reno just didn't want to do that, though.

Which meant Rude was the "Bacon Bringer".

1:05 am.

Rude often sat up in the kitchen late. Watching the clock. Cup of coffee. Rickety chair.

It was a good place to think. And worry.

Rude was Reno's rock, and he knew it. He was stable, and Reno needed that. Rude didn't like Reno having to worry, so he saved the affairs of the house for the night time. The money situation was something he didn't want Reno to worry about, but it was getting worse.

Tifa had said that they were welcome to live with her and the others. The house was big enough, and Tifa liked the idea of everyone being together. The idea hadn't particularly appealed to Rude. There was nothing wrong with the house or the inhabitants, but Rude didn't want to live off of them. He was independent, and proud. He didn't want to bailed out.

It could have been good, though. Rude had spent some time around there when Tifa had demanded he eat. She'd actually shown up once or twice, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out the door. The children were sweet, and that Red character was interesting. Vincent never appeared, really. Not while Rude was there, anyway. Cloud was virtually never there. A good thing, in Rude's opinion.

And Tifa herself. She would be Rude's first reason for moving in, if he were to do it. She was calm, capable, and still had a wicked, devilish streak in her. Rude had seen the way she was with Reno, and he loved it. There was someone else out there who knew how to handle him, and that could only be a good thing. Tifa was smart, too. And beautiful.

Rude shook his head and took a sip of cold coffee. That kind of thinking wasn't going to get him anywhere.

1:25 am

Rude reached into his pocket and drew out a small notebook. Leaning forward to lean on the table, he opened it up and set about sorting out the money problems.

* * *

Reno woke up knowing exactly what he was going do today.

He was heading round to Cloud's.

It wasn't right that Vincent should be able to disregard him like that. Reno should have the last hurrah here. Vincent was a challenge. Reno liked that, and he had his pluckiness back, so he was confident. He always did enjoy a good challenge.

Reno headed towards the bathroom, shouting a good-morning to Rude.

In the kitchen, Rude put the good mood down to having scored.

Reno always took long showers, but this morning was even longer, as he took care to make completely sure that everything was pretty and smelling nice.

Reno's wardrobe wasn't particularly well-stocked, but what he did have looked good on him. He dressed according to his own tastes in others. Tight black jeans, clinging button up shirt, the first few buttons undone.

Reno chirruped a goodbye to Rude as he practically pranced out the door.

Rude called after Reno:

"Have fun."

To himself: "No tazer jokes this time."

~ * ~

End Chapter VII.

Thanks to Namantos, Santiana and Pederz for reviewing Chapter 6.

Pssst! Pederz! We're sorry. Hope this makes up for it...and we're sorry to hear about your cake problems :)


	8. Now, Tomorrow, Always VIII

**~ Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By: **Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

Tifa was surprised to see Reno at the house again so soon, but she hid it well.

"You're looking good, Reno." She said, pulling her hair back. "What brings you here today? Have you finally decided to move in?"

Reno rolled his eyes. Tifa had asked that a few times.

"Cloud's off with Denzel."

Reno followed Tifa into the kitchen and leaned against the countertop, watching her fill the kettle.

"You know he's got the little punk on his bike." Reno teased.

Tifa straightened her skirt.

"Nice try, it's out of commission at the moment."

Coffee was served, as viciously black as Reno could want; Tifa knew his tastes by now. Reno scooted up on the kitchen bench, earning a little glance from Tifa.

"When is Rude going to drag himself around for dinner again? Is he scared of me?"

Reno grinned.

"More like, when are you gonna drag him out of the house?"

Tifa laughed, she was prone to that kind of "persuasion".

"I wanted to know if I could use your library." Reno asked, sipping at his coffee. Tifa looked understandably surprised, but she recovered and smiled.

"You can." she said. "Vincent's down there, but he won't bother you."

_No, not at all. _Reno thought to himself.

"Well, you know the way. Here," she said, handing a cup to Reno. " Take this to him."

Tifa began wiping down the draining board, turning her back on Reno.

* * *

Reno strolled into the library, coffee still in hand.

He stopped just inside the door, to see Vincent bent over the heavy wood desk at the other end of the room. Reno was wondering if Vincent had even noticed his arrival when the dark-haired man glanced up at him, and lowered his head once more.

"You're back," he said, flatly.

Reno waited to see if Vincent would say anything else. He didn't. Reno remembered the coffee in his hand and walked towards the desk.

"Here," he said, placing on the corner of hard wood. "Tifa told me to bring this for you."

Vincent didn't look at it, or give any sign that he'd heard.

Reno felt a little put out, but he hadn't expected much straight away. He strolled along the nearest wall of books, head tilted sideways, trying to read the titles.

Reno could read as well as anyone else, but he didn't really put that skill to use. He had read books in the past, enjoying some of them. War stories and history grabbed him in a way that no other subjects did. His sister had read to him as a small child, her eyes lighting up no matter how tired she was. Books were her passion. She'd had to work really hard in order to support the both of them, but she always had time to read a story to Reno. His interest wasn't as big as he'd made it out to be, but he knew how much she loved sharing this with him, so he'd begged her every night to open up a book.

Reno hadn't seen her in a long time, and he didn't really enjoy reading on his own. He needed someone there to explain things to him, and to share his discoveries with.

One book in particular caught Reno's attention. It was larger than the other ones and quite battered. He slid it off of the bookshelf and examined it. The cover was worn and dusty. Reno ran his hand over it, confused by the title. It was a line of runes. He couldn't read was a set of dates in English underneath, but they were too faded to read. Reno guessed by the condition of the book that it was some time pre-war.

Reno gently flipped through it. It was a book of paintings. They can't have all been by the same artist, they were too different. Yet they shared a similarity in a way. They all seemed cold. Just flipping through the book, Reno could tell there wasn't any warmth or happiness in it. He didn't like it. They made him feel strange.

Reno was preparing to close the book and return it to the shelf when one page in particular caught his eye.

It was just another painting, but it was different. It was very simple: A dark figure walking towards the horizon of what looked like a blue desert. A single tree stood off to the side. A very simple scene. But it had something about it that made Reno uneasy. The land was so stretching and bare, the sky was stormy above it. The figure seemed so resigned, somehow. This painting spoke to Reno in a way the others hadn't. He loved it.

"That's bizarre." He muttered, running his hand over the rough paper.

Having taken a momentary break from looking at pictures and words, Vincent relaxed slightly and enjoyed his tea. While he was still looking at the books, Vincent was not studying them, as he had been.

Rearranging a few sheets of paper, Vincent paused for a second when he heard Reno speak. He glanced at the redhead, noticing the book. It was one of the oldest in Vincent's vast collection and also one of the hardest to obtain.

"It's old," Vincent stated, going back to enjoying his tea.

Reno had been in something like a trance until he heard Vincent's voice. It snapped him out of his stupor. With the book still open in his hands, Reno turned to look at the man standing behind the desk. Reno hadn't expected to hear him talk, and it startled the redhead a little, since he hadn't been trying to provoke Vincent.

"It looks it," Reno said, briefly.

Suddenly, taking a couple of steps towards the desk, Reno held the book out to Vincent. It was open at the painting which had affected Reno so deepky.

"What does this mean?" Reno asked, pointing at the bottom of the page where something was written in the strange symbols.

Not looking at the redhead, Vincent asked, "What page?"

Reno checked the numerals in the top righthand corner.

" C-C-C-" Began Reno, "L-X-I-V."

"Desolate." Was the emotionless response.

Reno was surprised that Vincent could tell him so quickly. He ran his hand over the page once more.

"Desolate?" He muttered.

Reno looked up at Vincent, who was still examining the mess of papers on the desk.

"I don't like it." Reno announced.

Vincent didn't look up, but he spoke, "Nobody said you had to like it."

Reno looked back at the book, saying, "I meant the name. It feels wrong, empty."

"Emptiness is either a blessing or curse."

Reno was more shocked than ever. Vincent was speaking, properly. But what did the dark-haired man mean?

Tifa entered the library with a tea-tray. She noticed Reno holding the battered tome as she passed him.

"Reno," she said, laying the tray on the desk next to Vincent, "that's what we call a 'book'."

Reno stuck his tongue out at her, earning a smile. He took another look at Vincent, still and silent as ever. Reno reluctantly closed the book, and gently returned it to its shelf. Tifa had poured fresh cups and headed out the door, when little Marlene came running in.

"Reno!" The little girl cried, flinging herself at the redhead.

Reno grinned and returned her clinging hugs with enthusiasm. He really was happy to see the little imp. Reno allowed himself to be dragged to the leather sofa in the corner, and sat down. Marlene scrambled up into his lap and looked up earnestly into his face.

"Reno?" Marlene asked in a low voice, "can I call you 'Uncle'?"

Reno tousled the girl's hair and grinned.

"Sure can." He replied.

Marlene positively beamed, "Uncle Vincent said I should ask!"

Reno stole another glance at 'Uncle Vincent'. It wasn't returned.

"Now I have an Uncle Vincent _and _an Uncle Reno!" Marlene cried.

Marlene dug out a book from one of the lower shelves. She knew her Uncle Vincent kept all the child stories where her little arms could easily reach them. Reno had a heavy volume of fables dumped in his lap, followed by a request to read with his little friend. Reno was strongly reminded of his sister.

So they took a trip into fairy-land together and stayed there until dinnertime. When Tifa called, Marlene took Reno's hand and hopped off the sofa.

"Are you coming to dinner, Uncle Vincent?" She asked.

Reno looked on as Vincent shook his head, not taking his eyes off of the desk.

Marlene bounced back. She could take her Uncle Reno to dinner instead.

~ * ~

End Chapter VIII.  
Sorry about this guys. I completely forgot!

crimson hawk of darkness, ViviOrunatia, Pederz, Namantos, Santiana, Alexia, erika, and saint of the lost ones, thanks so much for your reviews. Hope we do not disappoint in this chapter!


	9. Now, Tomorrow, Always IX

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

When Reno entered the dining room, Marlene hanging off of him, he got a bit of a surprise.

Rude was sitting at the table wearing his tie as usual, and looking very uncomfortable.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Reno demanded, stopping in the doorway.

Rude cleared his throat, and straightened his posture slightly.

"Tifa told me that if I didn't come for dinner, bad things were going to happen to me."

Reno detected a slight twitching at the corners of his friend's mouth.

"And," Tifa said, walking into the room carrying a bowl, "I also threatened to cut off something very important to him if he didn't."

Marlene had been staring at Rude shyly since they walked in. Now she turned her attention to Tifa, curious as always.

"What would you cut off?"

"Marlene," Tifa said, looking a little nervous, "go get Denzel for dinner."

Marlene pouted, but she did as she was told.

Reno was laughing himself halfway to death by this point. Only a woman like Tifa could strike fear into the heart of a man like Rude over something as simple as dinner.

Reno's laughter was cut short when Tifa spoke.

"Do you want to lose it too, Reno?"

Reno decided maybe it was time to take a seat, especially since Tifa was wielding a bread knife. Sure it wasn't very sharp, but her eyes were trained on a rather personal part of Reno's body. He was quite sure the woman could do unpleasant things with the bluntest of instruments.

It was Rude's turn to chuckle.

"You can't take away what's _not _there, Tifa."

Reno's face burned red. He whipped out his tazer.

"Yeah, well your tazer ain't this big," Reno scowled, waving the rod over his head, "oh, wait, that's right: _you don't even have one!_"

Tifa paused in the middle of cutting up a loaf of bread and stared at Reno.

"What?" Reno protested, "He started it."

Tifa resumed what she was doing.

"Yes, apparently we're all twelve again."

Reno and Rude looked at each other across the table.

Dinner was an interesting affair. A very traditional roast.

Tifa dominated the conversation, firing questions at Reno and Rude while mediating between the children. The kids seemed particularly energetic tonight, and were bickering away, throwing peas, it went on and on. Reno was impressed by Tifa's ability to multi-task. Towards the end of the meal, though, Reno was surprised to see Denzel deep in conversation with Rude. Rude was speaking to the kid in that slow and thoughtful way of his, and it was obvious that the little punk had found a new hero.

When dinner was finished, Tifa put together a plate and handed it to Marlene.

"Take this to Vincent, and say goodnight."

Marlene and Denzel exchanged looks.

"After we take it to Uncle Vincent," Denzel asked, "can I show Mr. Rude around our house?"

Reno sniggered at that.

"You can," Tifa said, "but only until I've finished the dishes, okay?"

Marlene squealed so loudly, Reno's eardrums nearly burst.

"I'm taking Uncle Reno!"

Before either Rude or Reno knew it, they'd been seized by two small hands and hauled out of the room.

The two men were dragged through every room in the house, including the bathrooms. Reno didn't need to see the library, but Rude showed a genuine interest. Reno knew that Rude was a reader, and a library of this size would definitely grab his attention.

The last room they were shown was Vincent's. This perked Reno's ears up a little.

"We're not allowed in, though." Marlene informed them.

Reno stared at the closed door. He would have assumed that anyway, even with his limited experience of Vincent's personality.

Reno turned to the children.

"Okay, you guys are just looking for an excuse to stay up."

"How do _you _know?" Denzel demanded.

"Because I do it all the time."

Rude laughed at that, and took the children by their hands.

"He does, but I know that you guys are better behaved than him. I'll tuck you in."

Denzel and Marlene grinned, and went with Rude back down the hallway.

Reno was left staring at Vincent's bedroom door. Some kind of heavy wood with a brass handle. Very Vincent.

Reno had always had a passion for sussing people out. Digging into their lives, their identities. This was probably why he made such a good Turk. He wanted to know all about people, the little details that most other people wouldn't care about.

Reno wondered what kind of nest Vincent would have set up for himself. It would have to be neat; there was no room for doubt there. Vincent wasn't the type to tolerate mess.

Reno reached out and traced a finger down the rough wood, building an image.

Curtains, there would have to be curtains at the windows. They were old-fashioned, as Vincent certainly was. Carpet, not tiles or floorboards. A wardrobe, wooden as well, maybe oak. The furniture would all have to be wooden, Reno was sure. The bed, too.

Reno laid his whole hand flat against the door.

What kind of bed did Vincent sleep in?

Reno's curiosity got the better of him here. He reached for the door handle thinking a little peek couldn't hurt. Nobody had to know.

Reno slowly pressed the handle down, intending on slipping his head in through the door for a quick look. It didn't work out that way, however. The door was suddenly wrenched out of his hand and flung open.

Vincent stood in the doorway, glaring at Reno.

Vincent must have been either in bed or preparing for it, because he was shirtless. Reno had a split-second view of the dark-haired man's torso before the door was drawn forwards again, obscuring all but a shoulder and an irritated face. Vincent lowered his head slightly, so that his hair hung over his forehead.

Reno recoiled slightly.

"I-I was…" he stuttered, "…looking for the bathroom."

Vincent's eyes narrowed a little, regarding Reno with a cold contempt.

"As you can see," he said icily, "this is not the bathroom."

And the door closed, leaving Reno standing in the hall, alone and baffled, with Vincent's torso burned into his retinas.

* * *

Vincent had just finished drying his hair and pulled on his pants when he heard the children wandering around the house, speaking to someone about the rooms. He figured they were showing Reno around, seeing as the redhead only knew his way to the library.

Vincent blinked when he heard Denzel call someone "Mr. Rude" and wondered if the bigger Turk was around. It wasn't any of his business. They were guests of Tifa's and as long as they didn't interfere with him, he would be happy.

Vincent opened one of the windows to the side of his bed, letting in a late, cool breeze. He stood before the window, enjoying the coolness over the naked half of his body for a moment. The moon was full tonight, which would only add to his restlessness.

Having enjoyed the breeze for long enough, Vincent left the spot at the window and pulled back the covers of the bed. His body tensed when he heard the children and the two adults outside his door. He made a mental note to thank Marlene for making it clear that this room was off limits. Unfortunately, it would appear that someone wanted to step into the forbidden. Vincent had heard three pairs of feet walk off, which left one person outside of his door.

Vincent eyes went to the handle. The moment the metal twitched, he would kill whoever was outside. His eyes narrowed as the handle began to move. Was someone really that stupid?

In two steps, Vincent was at his door, opening it and glaring at a stunned Reno. Vincent quickly covered himself as much as he could without the use of clothes. He stood behind the door, glaring at the redhead that would dare to taint his sanctuary.

Vincent watched as Reno tried to find some reason as to why he would want to enter the room.

"I-I was…looking for the bathroom."

Vincent, for some reason, felt the urge to snarl at Reno. Instead, he settled for a cold reply, making it clearer than the sun.

"As you can see, this is not the bathroom." Vincent closed the door before the Turk could utter another sound.

Vincent pressed his back to the door and wrapped his arms around his abdomen. He felt a little violated having let someone see him like that. How could he be so reckless like that? Vincent knew the answer. He didn't care how he was seen, as long as his little slice of heaven was untouched by others.

With a sigh, Vincent went back to his bed and sat on the edge. He ran his non-metal hand through his hair. For some bizarre reason, Vincent felt the need to go and have another shower. He knew it was t the better of him? Vincent ran the fingers of his right hand over the claw-like scars on his left shoulder, the shoulder that had still been on full display for Reno to see and to judge.

Vincent got the urge to curl up in the fetal position and hope this was only a bad dream and that he would wake up in the library. Only, he knew this was reality and that Reno had seen him. That Reno had stared at him. That Reno would probably never understand Vincent's need to hide away.

Vincent stood from the bed and closed the window, pulling the drapes. He made sure they were closed and that nothing could possibly be seen from the outside. He did not want his room to be seen by prying eyes or nosy redheads.

With his bedroom closed up, Vincent went back to his bed and got under the covers. He would rather sweat it out than have a rerun of what happened three minutes ago. And maybe, just maybe, what happened three minutes ago would never happen again.

Vincent removed his claw and placed it on the bedside chest, alongside his headband. If he were lucky, Reno would not mention anything about it, ever.

Vincent closed his eyes and all he could see was Reno standing at the entrance to his haven. Not even Tifa had entered his room since he took it. Vincent knew he could be very anal about his possessions, but they were all he had left to give. He did not want to pass on the Chaos curse.

Vincent turned his back to the bedside chest that had his claw and headband on. He did not want to be reminded of horrible memories that he had long tried to forget. Vincent opened his eyes and stared out into the darkness of his bedroom.

Vincent wondered if he let someone in again, would it be like watching a movie of his past with Lucrecia? Was it something he was willing to risk? Another lifetime of trial and error and trying to repent for sins that could never possibly be forgiven. One lifetime was enough for Vincent.

Vincent pulled the covers over his shoulder as he continued to stare at nothing. It was still fairly early as the children were taken to bed by "Mr. Rude". Vincent just knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, not with his mind working overtime. He threw the covers off his body and sat up. He needed to do something to take his mind of the issues that were being surfaced.

Going to his closet, Vincent pulled on a black shirt and his cape. He went to his bedside chest and attached his claw and put his headband on. He may as well go to the library and read some more on bikes and their mechanisms to see if he could find out Fenrir's problem.

Vincent left his room and moved through the house like a ghost. He went to the library and took a seat behind the desk. His body just wanted to rest, but his mind refused to settle down enough for that to happen. This may help a little.

* * *

After Reno got his thoughts a little more in order, he fled into the kitchen, made some excuses to Rude and Tifa, and practically bolted home.

Rude and Tifa looked at each other in Reno's wake, not daring to mention the telltale way Reno had been holding his hands in front of his crotch.

The first thing Reno did when he closed the front door, was to lay back on the couch and close his eyes, heart still racing.

Vincent must have been in a lot of shit, the amount of scars he had on his upper body. Reno had a fair few of his own, but they couldn't add up to a quarter of Vincent's. That didn't bother Reno, though.

In Reno's current state, scars meant hardcore.

Hardcore meant _hot._

Really, at this moment in time, a colostomy bag would mean hot, as long as Vincent was shirtless.

So Reno's self-control had never been the best, so he didn't really think things through, so Rude wasn't home.

Reno was alone.

And Vincent had been shirtless.

Scarred, hardcore, and shirtless.

So Reno's hand drifted downwards.

A dream-Vincent appeared, in all his shirtless, scarry glory.

Before Reno managed to even get into his own pants, he realized something unpleasant.

Dream-Vincent didn't look very happy. This Vincent looked disturbed. Vincent didn't look like he really wanted to be here, doing this.

It occurred to Reno that the real Vincent probably wouldn't want to be there either, and that he certainly wouldn't much like where Reno's thoughts had been headed.

Vincent might even feel a little violated.

Reno suddenly felt ashamed.

* * *

Rude got home quite late. Tifa and he had had a good time, chatting and sharing observations on Reno and Vincent.

Reno was sitting at the kitchen table when Rude entered, nursing a pot of coffee.

Rude grabbed a mug out of a nearby cupboard and joined Reno.

Pouring himself a coffee, Rude mentioned to Reno that he was planning on doing some shopping tomorrow.

Reno nodded. He was tired, but he wasn't really ready for bed. Rude spoke again,

"You need anything?"

Reno shook his head, not in a talking mood. Rude left it at that and gathered up some dishes left on the table from earlier, Reno still sitting there and toying with the tablecloth. Rude was filling the sink when he heard a chair scrape across the floor behind him.

"Rude," Reno said dully, on his feet, "is this what they want?"

He gestured at himself, sweeping his hand down in front of his torso.

Rude didn't really understand what the redhead meant. He stared for a moment.

"If they do, is that bad?"

Reno considered Rude's words for a moment, looking down at his shoes. After a pause, he turned on his heel and headed off to his room, leaving Rude staring after his friend, confused.

Reno shut his bedroom door and leaned against it for a moment and sighing deeply. He flicked the light switch on and walked towards his mirror.

_No, it's not bad, _Reno thought, eyeing his reflection, _except when you don't have anything else to offer._

The outfit he'd left home in that morning was still in good shape, but it suddenly didn't seem so attractive to Reno. The clinging shirt, the tight jeans. It wasn't really necessary, was it? He was still the same person underneath no matter how he wrapped the outside up. And if the inside didn't appeal to someone, then they wouldn't touch the outside. Unless it was only the body they were after.

The way Reno had thought about Vincent earlier had made him wonder. Maybe that was how people felt about Reno himself. It might not be such a good thing.

Reno's experiences were fleeting. He never had to rely on anything but his body in that way, because that's all a one night stand was about. You choose someone for their body, you take them home for their body, you do things with their body, and then they leave. But, just supposing you want them to stay...they wouldn't stay for your body. They stayed for something else.

Reno suddenly felt rather stupid in his elaborate attire. He unbuttoned his shirt quickly, just wanting to get out of it. The jeans came off immediately after. Reno stood observing himself. There was nothing wrong with it, it was attractive. Reno knew that. But he was bothered by the fact that at some point he might have to rely on something other than his body to attract someone.

Reno liked his own personality, when he thought about it. He sometimes wished he knew more about things, but he knew he wasn't stupid. And he swore, and phrased things wrong, but the people that knew him found it endearing. Reno knew he shouldn't have to worry about attracting someone to his personality. He couldn't understand what that slightly anxious feeling was.

Giving up, Reno turned from the mirror, switched off the light, and got into bed. Lying stretched out on top of the covers, a thought hit him.

_You can't change those things about yourself, _Reno told himself, _and when you want someone, you can't force them to want what you're stuck with. You can't force them to want you .And if nobody wants you, you're alone. Empty._

Reno fell asleep with the word 'desolate' on his mind.

~ * ~

End Chapter IX.

Thanks to everyone for reviewing and being patient, and greetings to Ricoch3t :)

Note from Plex: I know, I know, we're horrible people. This took waaay longer than it should have, and we're sorry. We reached a bit of a block and had to kinda step back a little. Also, I couldn't be bothered :)

But we're back and on a roll, so no more delays.

In response to some of your reviews, I know it seems like things are moving slowly, but it's all VINCENT'S FAULT! You just CANNOT stay in character and rush that man. Aerys says it's because he's not a slut, like Reno.

(Aerys gets poked.)

(Plex is punched.)

Anyway, we would really like to push these two, but we might have to sacrifice some authenticity if we do, and we don't want to go down that road. Oh God, no. I think the reason Chapter 8 may have seemed rushed was a little bit of fear after Namantos' warning on Chapter 7.

(We still love you, though :)

So after the reviews on Chapter 8 we went into a little funk, but we're just going to keep trying.

We've also added a little onto Chapter 8, too, so check it out if you still have faith in us.

And oh yes, the chapters will be longer.

You just wait ;)

Love from Us.

xxx


	10. Now, Tomorrow, Always X

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By: **Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

Reno woke earlier than usual this morning.

He stretched, yawned and dragged himself up. Padding out the door and down the hall, Reno wondered ho early was too early. To the people who actually woke up early, anyway. Rude wasn't even awake yet, and he was always moving around the place by the time Reno rose.

Of course, Reno was thinking of Vincent. Would he be awake yet? Reno entered the bathroom, wondering. Vincent didn't seem like to kind of person to sleep much. He probably never slept, just stayed at that damned desk twenty-four hours a day.

Reno leaned into the shower and wrenched the rusted knobs into place. The sound of falling water filled the room as Reno checked himself out in the small mirror above the basin. He had taken a couple of days to look right again after his last foray into the pub. He really had gone too far there, there was no denying it. But Reno was relieved to see he was finally looking good again. Bright.

Reno stepped into the shower, wincing at the lukewarm water. The hot water system in these buildings sucked, but one had to bear it.

Reno emerged from the shower freshly scrubbed and dripping. He reached for a fluffy towel and got to work on his hair, leaving the rest of himself to drip-dry, while he continued onto the wax. The redhead finally tied his hair back and headed towards his room, not bothering to cover himself.

Reno looked over his wardrobe, wondering what to wear. He was remembering how stupid he'd felt last night, looking at himself in the mirror. He didn't really want to feel that way again.

Reno emerged in the kitchen ten minutes later in a white shirt and plain black trousers. Rude still wasn't up, so Reno breakfasted on his own. He cleaned his dishes this time-it wasn't fair for Rude to wake up to a mess.

Reno wandered into the lounge and looked around aimlessly. He wasn't used to being on his own in the house, and he wasn't sure he liked it. Reno was actually able to go without constant stimulation, but he liked to be doing something. He glanced at the clock. It had to be too early to show up at Tifa's, but it might not be too early to go outside.

Reno crossed the lounge towards the window and negotiated it open. There was a brief incident involving Reno's fist and the window frame, that culminated in the window admitting defeat and opening. A cool breeze greeted the redhead as he leaned outside. It wouldn't be long before the day heated up again, but it was still night-cool. Reno gazed out across the city, noting how many rooftops needed fixing. Things had improved, but Midgar hadn't yet recovered from Kadaj's little Bahamut act. Reno doubted whether or not the people of Midgar had recovered. The sun wasn't even up yet, but there were already sounds of life coming from further up the street. The market had to open for the day long before the rest of the city was up.

Reno moved back into the lounge room, and looked back at the clock. Maybe a walk couldn't hurt. It would kill time, anyhow. As he headed towards the door, he wondered whether or not he needed a jacket.

Deciding against it, he walked out.

Once outside of the building, Reno flipped his collar up. It wasn't too cold, but there was a bit of a nip in the air. Reno hadn't really seen the way things looked this early in a long time. He stared up at the sky as he walked down the street. To the left of him, the sky was lightening, streaked with yellow. On the right, the stars were disappearing.

Reno wasn't looking where he was going, and as a result he collided with a dustbin.

"Fuck!"

Reno managed to not actually fall over, but his right knee did dip down into the ground, earning him a fresh bruise.

"It's always me, isn't it?" He grumbled, rubbing at the point of pain.

The market wasn't completely set up yet. People were still bustling around, setting things up, and lifting crates. Most of the people here looked too frail or old to be lifting things like that, to Reno. One had to make a living, though, the sick and old couldn't live like he and Rude did; catching onto odd jobs. These kinds of off-and-on jobs were unreliable and risky, and not everyone could live like that.

Reno noticed one particularly small and old woman struggling to lift an overloaded crate of red apples onto the display bench. Reno hurried over, worried her back might break right then and there. He swept the load out of her thin arms and hoisted it onto the wooden bench. It was amazing that the little old lady was able to even lift it off the ground.

She smiled at Reno gratefully.

"Ta, Lad." She said, "Eaten breakfast, yet, have you?"

Reno grinned.

"Well, keep yourself going."

The woman plucked an apple from the crate and deposited it in Reno's shirt pocket, flapped her hand at him, and went back to work.

Reno grinned once more and continued on his way. The world could be very simple. Help someone out, and they'll help you. Sometimes.

Reno retrieved the apple from his pocket and examined it as he walked. He didn't really feel like eating it, so he tossed it from palm to palm as he walked. The sun was up, and business would be starting soon at the market. It might be a good idea to take a look around, and by the time he'd worked it over it would be late enough to go to Tifa's house.

Reno took a seat on an empty crate and waited, still tossing the apple.

* * *

Vincent leisurely opened his eyes, raised his head and took in his surroundings. He didn't remember closing his eyes, much less drifting off, and in the library. It wasn't something he did often, though it wasn't unheard of.

Seeing as he had, Vincent stretched his arms out in front of him and pinched the bridge of his nose. He straightened himself, his attention going to the papers and books scattered before him briefly. First things first, though, he had to have a shower. Smelling like old ink and dust was not a cologne for him. Vincent slowly got to his feet and headed for the door.

Exiting the library, Vincent heard the commotion of the others having breakfast. Vincent wandered into the dining room to let everyone know he was awake and wish a good morning to them.

"Will you be joining us for breakfast today, Vincent?" Tifa asked, as she piled pancakes onto five plates.

Vincent shook his head, declining politely. As he left the dining room, Vincent noticed a slight pout on Marlene's lips. He knew that Marlene pouted to guilt him into doing something as he could not deny her when she got that look. He usually tried to avoid it as quickly as possible.

Going upstairs, Vincent entered the bathroom. He knew that Tifa had seen him asleep in the library as she had already placed a towel and his shampoo out on the counter for him. Sometimes, Vincent wondered how any of them would live without her there to do almost everything for them.

After he removed everything he wore, claw included, Vincent opened the clear shower door and turned on the cold water. Taking a deep breath, he stepped in; his body tensed as the icy spray washed over his body. After his temperature had adapted to the chill, Vincent raised his head into the oncoming water. He lowered his head again to let the water run mostly down his back.

Taking the bar of soap, he studied it for a moment. Vincent wasn't sure if he was in the mood for a lavender scent. But, seeing as Tifa did the shopping, he really didn't have a say in the matter. When everything was clean to his liking, Vincent glanced around the shower for his shampoo, remembering it was still on the counter.

Stepping out of the shower with one foot, Vincent reached across the bathroom, picking up his shampoo and stepping back in, closing the door. While Vincent was generally someone who looked as though he spent a lot of time with his appearance, his hair was given the most attention, simply to please Marlene.

Vincent washed his hair twice, just to make sure, and turned the shower off. He let the water run off his body for a moment and opened the shower door, stepping out. He dried his hair with the towel and wrapped it around his waist, picked up his headband, cape and claw, going to his room.

Vincent dried the rest of his body in his room, discarding the towel to the corner behind his door. The first item of clothing he wore would always be his headband. Vincent slipped it over his head and let his hair fall naturally, including the parts that stuck up. He went to his closet and opened the doors. He stared blankly at the garments. Most of them consisted of button down shirts and a few pairs of nice leather pants. Vincent was certain he had the least amount of clothing in the house.

Vincent settled for a black cotton, long sleeve shirt and his usual leather pants. He buckled his cape, and left his room going downstairs. He made a de tour into the kitchen to pick up the cup of tea Tifa had made for him and went back into the library. Fenrir still had a problem that needed sorting.

Why were engine problems always the most difficult to figure out? Vincent had no idea. This one was frustrating him. Vincent was not one to get frustrated, especially not over something like this, that should be viewed as a challenge.

Vincent pulled forth one of the several blueprints, staring almost blankly at it, as he absentmindly picked up a cherry. He took the fruit into his mouth and plucked the stalk off, dropping it in the small dustbin beneath the desk.

Vincent sat in his chair, his elbow resting on the arm and his fore and middle fingers against his temple. His claw was settled on his thigh as he studied the blueprint with a slight frown of irritation. He couldn't think of any reason why Fenrir wouldn't operate correctly. Cid had put in a new battery, since Cloud almost broke his foot with it.

Vincent looked away from the desk. It was a little depressing not being able to find what he needed to know in a book. He felt a little disappointed in the books around him. He had searched them, memorized them, and still he failed.

Vincent knew he hadn't failed, as he had only offered his help. He did not promise to find the cause and a solution. Maybe he should approach Cid about it. The older male had more knowledge in mechanics and technology. Vincent pushed that thought out of his mind. He was not about to ask someone to do something he had taken on.

Still, that left Vincent with a whole new level of frustration, then. He never really was one to ask or accept another's help. Advice, perhaps. Vincent viewed his anti-social tendencies as a good thing at this moment in time. Not many people liked to admit they had failed. Vincent was no different.

Vincent glanced at the door when he heard someone approaching. He was rather relieved to see it was Nanaki, as it would give him a small break from his troubles.

"Making progress?" Nanaki asked, jumping up onto the sofa and gazing levelly at his quiet friend.

Vincent made no reply, wanting to get off the subject. Not wanting to talk about it. Wanting to forget the problem even existed.

Nanaki realized that Vincent probably wouldn't answer. The man must be exhausted by this issue by now.

Vincent leaned back into his chair as Nanaki climbed down from the sofa and headed over to the desk. The wolf-like creature took a seat on his haunches next to Vincent. Vincent reached down and scratched behind his friend's ear.

Nanaki and he were good companions, and Vincent sometimes wondered if it was because they were of different races. Nanaki couldn't be expected to view things the way a human would, and having a completely different opinion was refreshing. Aside from that, Nanaki also couldn't be expected to concern himself with many human issues, so he simply left them alone. Nanaki wouldn't try to offer advice on the problem with Fenrir, because it meant nothing to him. Vincent was grateful for that.

"Don't worry about it too much, Vincent." Nanaki said from Vincent's side.

With that, Nanaki turned and wandered back over to the sofa. Vincent watched as he jumped back up, and lounged on the brown leather, closing his eyes

It wasn't as simple as not worrying, but Vincent did feel that a break might be in order to be able to view it in a different light. He stood and wandered over to a nearby bookshelf, removing a heavy tome. It was a history book, chronicling the reign of a queen, some two hundred years past. Vincent had enjoyed the story. He found history to be soothing, in a way. Reading about the mistakes of the past gave him some temporary comfort.

Vincent carried the book over to the sofa, careful not to disturb Nanaki as he sat down next to him.

* * *

Reno had arrived very early, but Tifa left it alone.

She did wonder why Reno had suddenly developed this appetite for reading, but it didn't cause any harm, so Tifa didn't mind.

Reno only chatted briefly with Tifa before heading for the library. The kids were out in the garden, so he wasn't intercepted on the way.

As Reno walked through the large house, he thought about what Vincent had said the day before. About emptiness. Reno pushed the thought away, not wanting to get back onto that. He was still recovering from the shock of Vincent speaking more than two words to him. Reno remembered that he was taking this on as a challenge, something entertaining; but when he cast his mind back to the day before, he thought that he would like Vincent to talk again.

When Reno entered the library, he was surprised not to see Vincent at the desk. The redhead looked around and his eyes landed on the leather couch near one of the huge windows.

Vincent was sitting there, perusing a heavy book. Reno thought he looked a little different, today. He was still expressionless, still wrapped in the heavy cape Reno had noticed over the past couple of days. It wasn't anything very obviously different, but Reno felt that the dark-haired man actually seemed relaxed. He was still sitting up straight, Reno had never seen him do any different, but Vincent wasn't rigid or tensed. It pleased Reno to see it...nobody should be knotted up all the time.

Reno didn't say anything as he walked in, just strolled towards the desk, straight past the sofa. He didn't really want to approach Vincent while he was reading, it didn't feel right. Even Reno, who wasn't very tactful, could pick up on that. So he moved around behind the desk and sat down in the high-backed chair, glancing at Vincent to see if he would object. Vincent didn't look up, but the creature on the sofa next to him caught his attention.

It was the wolfish animal, Red. Reno hadn't seen him around the house before, but he knew the creature lived there. Red seemed to be sleeping, lounging next to Vincent. Reno felt a little strange when he noticed that Red was resting his head on Vincent's right leg. The redhead couldn't understand what the feeling was, and he was still gazing at the fiery animal and mulling it over, when Red's eyes opened.

Reno was startled to see the large yellow eyes lock with his own. They didn't show any emotion, but as they stared unblinkingly, Reno couldn't shake the feeling that he was being threatened a little. Red held Reno's eyes for a moment before closing them once more.

Reno looked at the desk before him. The surface was littered with papers; blueprints or something. Reno slouched back in the chair, observing Vincent curiously. He hadn't acknowledged that Reno was there at all. Reno had expected that; after all, Vincent didn't know him exceptionally well.

Getting to his feet, Reno pulled his long ponytail over his shoulder. He wandered over to one of the shelves, looking for the book from the day before.

It was hard to mistake it for another, and Reno was soon sitting back down at the desk and opening it up.

* * *

Vincent continued to read the book. He didn't want to return to Fenrir's problem for a little while longer. It felt good to just relax and have an hour's peace to himself, even with Nanaki's head on his leg.

Vincent closed his eyes for a moment as he closed the book. Having wanted to forget about the mechanical problem was proving to be a little difficult. He was still thinking about it.

Placing the book beside him, Vincent rubbed Nanaki's chin. It was his way of telling Nanaki he was a good boy for not having his tail on the sofa. Classic furniture was not easy to come by. It was also Vincent's way of letting the animal know he was about to stand.

Nanaki removed his head from Vincent's leg as the man stood, picking the book up and putting it to rest. It had been a few months since he had picked up that book to read. Vincent wasn't sure why he didn't do it more often. It was one of his favorites.

Vincent ran his fingertips along the smooth wooden edge of a shelf, wondering whether or not to read a little more before returning to Fenrir. He tilted a book towards himself, glancing at Reno out of the corner of his eye.

While reading, Vincent had been aware of the redhead's movements. He had noticed Reno's choice of book, and wondered why he hadn't chosen to look at something different. There was a large selection of art books in the library, and Vincent could think of several that would be suit Reno better. Appeal to him more, and not create unease.

Unease seemed to be the expression on the redhead's face at the moment, and Vincent was sure he knew what page the book was open at. Why would someone choose to do something that affected them that way? It shouldn't really matter, though. Reno's interests weren't any of his business, after all.

Vincent slid the book back into place and turned to walk back to the desk. Reno must have noticed him approaching because he looked up.

Reno realised that Vincent was walking towards him, and closed his book. Vincent would want his chair back. Standing up, Reno stole another quick glance at the papers on the desk before moving around to the other side. He watched Vincent resume his usual place, back straight.

The dark-haired man was wearing that cloak again totday. Reno wondered why someone would smother themselves like that in this heat. He discovered himself finding it difficult to examine Vincent's face. He concentrated, eyes trained on the top buckle of the cape, but something wasn't letting him raise them.

His mind flew back to his earlier thoughts about Vincent. The ones about not wanting to be looked at.

Shaking his head slightly, Reno reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the donated apple. Wondering how silly he must have looked with _that _particular bulge, he placed it on the corner of the desk.

"I didn't know if you'd eaten," Reno said, casually.

Vincent held up a bowl of cherries that was awaiting him when he entered, without taking his eyes off the papers and books before him. It was Vincent's way of gently letting Reno know that he didn't want the apple.

While Vincent had no problem with any sort of fruit, apples were purely for if he was in the mood for them. Right now, Vincent was not in the mood for it. Which isn't to say he wouldn't be later. Vincent raised his head, almost like he was looking at Reno, but reached for a book instead.

Reno turned his back on the desk. That wasn't fair. Vincent couldn't be blank on the inside, the way he was outside. That little look, or non-look was just playing with him. The prick was having too much fun, ignoring Reno so pointedly. It was _shit._

Reno didn't like the idea of someone having the upper hand. More specifically, he didn't like Vincent having said upper hand. Vincent didn't talk, didn't really do anything at all except stare at papers and books. He shouldn't have power over Reno, and he shouldn't be able to make him feel stupid. And Reno felt stupid now.

Reno looked back over the desk, considering. He made up his mind, and strolled over to it, picking up the bowl of cherries. Reno held it up to his face, sniffing slightly. He'd never had a cherry before. They smelled strange.

Reno looked over at Vincent, a grin on his face. It faltered ever so slightly when he realised that Vincent was looking directly into his eyes. This was alright, it gave Reno permission to look back. But Vincent didn't look inviting. He spoke.

"Are you quite right, there?"

Reno ignored the warning in Vincent's eyes. He didn't want Vincent to think he could play games with him. Nodding his head and grinning broadly, Reno plucked a cherry out of the bowl and popped it into his mouth.

Two things happened simultaneously. Vincent got to his feet and stared at Reno. Reno also discovered a new height of disgust. Vincent watched as the redhead's face screwed up in complete horror. He made gagging noises and stuck his tongue out.

Vincent sat down again, commenting.

"It's not 'Reno Magic', but it's good for you."

Reno had just managed to swallow the offending fruit when he heard that. Still reeling from the taste, he glared at Vincent. The man was once more concentrating on his damned papers. And once more making him feel stupid.

Reno strode around to Vincent's side of the desk, his face a rather deep shade of red. He stormed to Vincent's chair, planting his hands on the left arm of it. He positioned his lips at the shell of Vincent's ear, and hissed, "You don't know _anything_ about Reno Magic."

Reno hovered for a split second before turning on his heel and stalking furiously out the door.

~ * ~

End Chapter X.

EDIT:

Aerys: I forgot to mention our thanks to everyone who has reviewed and to all those that have favorited this story. It means a great deal to us, and from the bottom of lifeless hearts, we love you!

Now, an apology is in order. We apologize for taking nearly months to update, however, that is my fault as I don't like to update without at least three chapters in reserve. So, all in all, we are both to blame, seeing as Lunar didn't finish chapter thirteen until last night.

Once again, thank you to all our loyal fans out there.

We are aware that this chapter didn't have much body to it, but in the long run, it's all worth it. Patience is a virtue, and we beg that you be a little more patient with us.

Thank you! Aerys, out!


	11. Now, Tomorrow, Always XI

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By: **Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus

~ * ~

Vincent blinked. His mind was still having a little difficulty trying to process what had just happened. It was...Vincent had no idea what it was. It was just - almost right.

Scolding himself, Vincent pushed what just happened out of his mind. There were other times to think about it. To think about Reno and the way he acted. Or right now could be just as good as any other time.

Vincent sighed to himself. Of all things for Reno to do, he had to do that. He could not have just expressed his anger with foul language and left. Of course not. That would have been the simple reaction for him to act out. Instead, he had to make Vincent suppress a shudder as his hot breath caressed his skin.

Vincent's eyes widened a fraction. He had no idea where that had just come from. With a vague shake of his head, Vincent glanced at the apple that was still on the corner of the desk. He wondered if he was in the mood for it. Right now, thinking of cherries brought back the unfortunate memory of _that_ night.

Vincent reached for the apple with his claw and froze. He stared at the polished metal. Something was not right with Reno. There was no reason for that redhead to want to spend time with Vincent; not in Vincent's eyes, anyway.

Vincent wondered what it was that made Reno feel the need to hang around. Was Reno hoping to achieve something from his daily visits? Or were the visits just what Tifa had said? Reno had actually found an interest in literature? That thought almost made Vincent feel the need to smile.

Vincent brought his claw back to rest on the arm of the chair. He heard Nanaki stir on the sofa. Vincent had almost forgotten he had left the animal asleep there. He was not surprised when the wolf-like creature sat beside him.

"Am I correct in assuming something happened between you and Reno while I slept?"

Vincent stared down at Nanaki, not looking impressed. He knew Nanaki had been awake the entire time. Vincent moved his eyes back to the array on his desk.

"Did you know that Reno looked at you nine times while you were on the sofa with me?" Nanaki enquired.

"It was eleven times. You're slipping."

Nanaki knew then that their conversation was over. Shaking his head, he moved towards the door, pausing for a moment to look back at Vincent, who, to the untrained eye, appeared to be busily researching.

"Do not continue like this, Vincent. The past is where it belongs."

Vincent's left eyebrow raised slightly at Nanaki's words. Vincent had not expected that from him. Nanaki was wise and had much more information that he let on. Vincent wasn't sure why he was so surprised to get an experienced remark.

Vincent nodded his head curtly, letting Nanaki know he would give some thought to what was just spoken. Vincent stood, going round the desk, picking up the apple with his good hand. He stared at the crimson skin of the fruit. Vincent knew he would never look at another apple and not think of Reno.

_Why? Why does he have to have an affect on me? Am I still being punished?_ With another silent sigh, Vincent took a small bite of the apple. It was surprisingly sweet and juicy, not that Vincent expected otherwise from someone like Reno.

Vincent wandered around the library idly as he ate the apple. He stopped before one of the giant arch windows that separated the bookshelves. Outside, he saw Nanaki join Tifa and Cid as they had afternoon tea in the orchard. It was still quite hot outside, but no-one seemed to mind being under the shade of a big lemon tree.

Vincent wondered where the children were if the adults were outside and they weren't in the library. There was the possibility that Cloud had come home for some reason and Tifa asked him to look after them while she enjoyed a moment without them.

Vincent finished his apple and left the library. He just wanted to make sure they were okay and that they hadn't let their curiosity get the best of them and leave the house.

Vincent stepped into the main hall, listening. He could hear the children in the living room. At least he knew where they were and that they were safe. Vincent decided he needed a break from the library and went into the living room.

The moment Vincent stepped past the threshold; he was pounced by the two children, catching one over each shoulder. Vincent's mood lightened instantly. On instinct, Marlene began playing with his hair. Vincent placed her on the sofa and placed Denzel on the floor.

Unbuckling his cape, Vincent took a moment to enjoy the coolness. It was a slight pain wearing the cape, but it was the only solitude Vincent felt he had. It stopped people examining him too much. He placed it on the sofa beside Marlene and sat before the girl, while Denzel set up the toy soldiers.

Within five minutes, Denzel had invaded Vincent's "territory" and had taken most of his command or killed it. Vincent never really knew that Denzel had such a strategical mind. Vincent continued to stare as Denzel took over what little command he had left. Vincent shook his head, which earnt him a whine from Marlene.

"Another round, Uncle Vincent?"

Vincent blinked at the boy. To put it politely, Vincent never paid much attention to Denzel. He decided to do that from now on. Vincent had forgotten the times he lost to Denzel at chess. The boy was a genius, just like Nanaki. Something that Vincent didn't think he would find in such a small human. Vincent nodded once, letting Denzel know he would be allowed to beat his Uncle again.

* * *

"Surrender, Uncle Vincent!" Denzel demanded for the fourth time.

"I still have something I can do."

Vincent watched as Denzel took out his last line of defense and sighed. He had just lost to a child, again, for the fifth time, in a row. He looked at the boy, who grinned back at him. With a vague smile, Vincent ruffled the brown mop, and stood. He decided it would be good to join everyone for dinner tonight, as seeing as one of their little "battles" lasted nearly two hours, Vincent knew he had better get the children to wash up for dinner.

"Come on, it's time to wash up for dinner."

Denzel and Marlene nodded, running off to the downstairs bathroom. Vincent went into the kitchen to give Tifa a hand. He set up the table for the whole family, which Vincent was sure would surprise them all. Vincent couldn't remember the last time they had had a family dinner.

Tifa turned around, a wooden spoon in her hand, ready to smack Denzel's hand, as she had a plate of cookies on the counter, when she heard someone enter the kitchen. She was surprised to see it was Vincent. She couldn't remember the last time Vincent had entered the kitchen while she was cooking.

"Did you need a hand with anything?"

Tifa's ruby eyes widened slightly, but she smiled. "Not really. You've already set up the table. Could you set out the milk for the children?"

Vincent went to the refrigerator and glanced over the notes that littered the front of it. He saw that Cloud needed a hand with something and that Cid would be going away in a couple of days. Vincent wondered about that. He honestly could not remember the last time he saw Cloud.

Vincent got the milk and took it into the dining room. He suppressed a shudder of delight at the memory of Reno's breath on his ear. Reno probably didn't know what he was doing or thought of how it would affect Vincent. Vincent didn't think it would affect him this way.

Vincent shook his head. He was mature enough to know that he couldn't act like a schoolgirl with a crush. Vincent mentally slapped himself for that. A schoolgirl? Where had that come from? Vincent was sure he did not want to know. Instead, he went down to the cellar.

Vincent kept the door open and turned the light on. He made his way down the dusty and rather unstable looking stairs. He glanced around and found his small wine rack. He glanced over the bottles and wondered which one he felt like drinking at dinner. Tifa was preparing a pasta dish when he had entered the kitchen, so perhaps something from Kalm might be nice.

Vincent picked up a bottle and blew the dust away. He wasn't sure if he wanted something as bitter as the one in his hand. It would have to do, as it was the only wine they made in Kalm. He looked up at the ceiling when Tifa called that dinner was ready.

Vincent left the cellar, turning the light off and closing the door. He went into the kitchen and opened the wine before he joined the others in the dining room. He ignored the shocked looks he received from Cid and Nanaki, who was sitting at the table.

It didn't matter how many times Vincent saw it, it would always look out of place. Despite the fact that Nanaki was most probably the most civilized being in the room, it just didn't look right. Vincent sat beside the leonine and half filled his glass with the wine.

Vincent didn't pay much attention to the conversation around the table. Cid would be heading to Rocket Town to visit Shera. Nanaki was helping to guard Edge from bandits, something that perked Vincent's interest. It wouldn't be so bad to do that. Vincent lowered his eyes. He would never do it, though. He still felt he had to repent for what happened to Lucrecia.

When dinner was finished, Nanaki took the children up to bed, Cid retired to the den and Vincent helped Tifa clean up the dishes.

"Vincent, is everything alright?"

Vincent looked at the woman and nodded curtly. He did not feel like explaining what had happened in the library. He had no doubt that Tifa would understand fully, Vincent just did not want her to think he was torturing himself, like Nanaki thought he was.

Tifa raised an eyebrow. She knew that Vincent was lying to her and she knew she couldn't do anything about it. When he was ready, Vincent would tell her, Tifa knew that. She just wished that he would put a little more trust into those around him. She decided to change the subject.

"How was Reno today? It seems a little strange that he's spending so much time around here lately." Tifa noticed the way that Vincent tensed slightly at the mention of Reno. She bite her lip. Maybe that was a not good subject.

"He confuses me."

"Huh?"

Vincent shrugged. "He gets upset over the slightest thing." Vincent didn't want to mention the remark he had made. He had not meant to upset the redhead with it. Vincent didn't know why he had said it.

Tifa laughed lightly, getting an inquisitive glance from Vincent. "Reno is like that, Vincent. He's quick to anger but also quick to forgive. Just remember, he's done a lot of stuff he's not proud of, either. So, those "small things" might actually remind him of something he does not want to remember."

Vincent picked up a dishtowel and began drying the dishes as Tifa washed them. He lowered his eyes in thought, his mind chewing over what Tifa had just told him. Vincent realized he knows almost nothing about Reno. Their history only really begun in the pub.

Tifa sighed. "Look, you were once a Turk, correct?"

Vincent flinched. _Speaking of doing stuff you're not proud of,_ he thought glumly. He wondered when Tifa found out that piece of information. Then Vincent remembered he was not the only one who was able to obtain unobtainable blueprints. So, he looked at the brunette and wondered where she was going with this.

"Yeah. That flinch says it all, Vincent." Tifa continued washing in silence for a few minutes, until she was almost done. "Everyone has their own way of dealing with the wrong doings in their life. Drugs, alcohol, sex. There are so many ways that people attempt to forget, it's not funny. Reno is dealing with what he's done wrong in his life in his way. He's a lot better off than he was when we first met."

Vincent dried the last dish and put it away. He flicked the towel and hung it up on the oven handle. He watched Tifa wipe down the counter tops. He glanced around the kitchen. Vincent never realized just how much Tifa did around the house. The cooking, the cleaning, teaching the children. And she was always so happy and ready to be there for a person.

Tifa looked over her should at Vincent. "Are you okay?" Tifa's eyes widened as Vincent approached her and gave her a hug. _What the hell is going here?_ She asked herself as she returned the hug. _First, random visits from Reno, now Vincent hugs people?_ Tifa really could not understand it.

Vincent pulled back and left the kitchen. He got his cape from the living room and went upstairs to shower and head to bed. He had almost forgotten about the works that a Turk had to do in order to survive. He wondered if that was how Reno was feeling. Vincent was never going to mention it to the redhead. That was a part of their past they obviously did not want to reminisce about.

Vincent showered quickly and went to his bedroom. He placed his headband and claw on the bedside chest and placed his cape neatly in a chair. He pulled on a pair of dark red cotton pajama pants and opened the windows. He closed his eyes as a warm breeze washed over his body and he sighed, pulling the covers back on his bed and getting in.

"_Emptiness is either a blessing or a curse." Right now, it is more of a curse._ Vincent closed his eyes, not wanting to think anymore tonight.

* * *

After the altercation with Vincent, Reno had stormed his way through Midgar with fire in his eyes and thunder on his brow. The markets were alive and buzzing away by the time Reno strode past, hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"Fucking Vincent."

Reno muttered agitatedly to himself the whole way. At one point, he actually bowled a group of children over.

The redheaded rage was still in full swing when he arrived home. In true style, Reno burst through the door and tore off his shirt before heading directly to the kitchen. Reno always had the foresight to keep a good stock of alcohol in the house. The kitchen cupboard contained a formidable amount of whiskey, something Rude looked down upon, but had the good grace to ignore.

Reno didn't even bother looking at what he was grabbing; He just flung open the cupboard and snatched the first bottle his hand reached. Reno wasn't a heavy drinker, and he didn't really make a career out of it, but he did tend to go on little 'benders'.

Twisting the cap off of the bottle, Reno slumped down at the table, taking a swig, and simultaneously digging out his cigarettes.

"Fucking Vincent."

As Reno got to work on his poison, he reflected on what had happened in the library. Vincent hadn't said anything nasty to him; Reno got the feeling that Vincent couldn't actually be outright nasty. But the man sure knew how to kick you in the balls without breaking a sweat. He'd somehow managed to make Reno feel stupid in the most nonchalant way.

Reno chugged some more, and found that the acid exploding in his stomach was calming him a little.

Reno hated to feel stupid. He knew his education wasn't what it could be, but he wasn't stupid. People like Rude and Tifa teased him quite often, but it never set him off like this. When Rude did it, Reno always had a smartass comeback in store. With Vincent though...

It had hurt. That seemed stupid, because it shouldn't have been a hurtful comment. It was probably because he wasn't totally comfortable with Vincent. It was ok for the people he knew well to do it, but Vincent wasn't there yet.

_Yet._ The thought struck Reno that maybe he'd like Vincent to be one of those people. Someone who could make a joke like that and not piss him off. And maybe it would be nice if Vincent was in a position where he made fun of Reno in an affectionate way instead of...whatever this had been.

By this point, Reno had downed about half the bottle, and four cigarettes. Perhaps his train of thought wasn't what it may have been, had he been sober. Reno himself knew this very well.

So he terminated that train of thought, and lit another cigarette.

"Fucking Vincent."

* * *

Round the time Vincent was attending dinner with the rest of the family, Rude made his way up the dingy staircase leading to the flat.

All in all, it hadn't been the best of days. His budgeting efforts hadn't left much for necessities, and the bag of groceries he carried was depressingly small. The trip to the market had taken longer than it should have, given that Rude had had to scour the whole place, looking for the lowest prices. He'd left it until the evening as well, since the prices generally lowered at the end of the day. The best bargains he got still weren't good enough to keep them eating all week, though. If Reno ate at Tifa's as often as he had been it might help a little, although Rude didn't like the idea. He didn't want their own problems to inconvenience anyone else.

Rude sighed as he approached the front door. He was going to have to catch on to something soon. Work was so irregular that he often went for what was going to pay enough to keep himself and Reno going until the next job. These had to be the scouting parties, where Rude would get sent out around Edge with a group to patrol the borders for a week or two. This wasn't something that Rude liked to do, despite the money. Reno just couldn't take care of himself properly for that long on his own. Not by Rude's standards, anyway.

The lights were off when Rude opened the door. Reno wasn't home yet, he supposed. Rude headed towards the kitchen, hoping that the redhead was being fed by Tifa. After he'd put the small amount of shopping away, he planned on making some calls around, to see if he could get anywhere with the work situation. Maybe he'd even have a go at Reno's whiskey collection, just to relax a bit.

Somebody had gotten there first, it seemed.

Rude stood in the kitchen doorway, finger still on the light switch. The minute he'd flicked it on, there was an explosion of sound in the room. Reno had been sitting at the table, hunched over a bottle, cigarette in hand. When the light had been turned on so suddenly, Reno had jumped so violently, he'd managed to knock himself out of the chair and onto the floor, taking the bottle with him.

Rude stared for a moment, waiting for Reno to jump up and shout. He didn't. After a moment, Rude dropped the bog of groceries in the kitchen doorway, rushing over to Reno's side of the table. Scooting down next to his friend, Rude took a good look at him. He hadn't knocked himself out, and he hadn't broken his neck. The redhead was sprawled out on his back, covered in alcohol, shaking with silent hysterical laughter.

Rude stayed kneeling next to him for a few moments, taking in his appearance. Reno's hair was tousled up more than usual, he'd taken his shirt off at some point, and he'd managed to burn himself with what must have been a cigarette. Rude could see the angry weal glaring out from the pale skin of his friend's chest. Reno's face was screwed up in what would have been a comical expression as he laughed, if it didn't look so close to insane.

Rude had seen Reno do this before, not too often, but enough not to be too worried by it.

Rude located the whiskey bottle nearby on the floor. He hooked it up in his fingers and examined it. Not all of it had splashed out onto Reno; there was still a quarter or so left. Rude considered it for a moment before taking a large gulp.

Reno, still giggling, sat up at this point, and leaned against the table leg, examining the man next to him.

"You scared the shit outta me!"

Rude looked at him, throat burning from the alcohol. Reno still had a grin on his face, eyes unfocussed. Rude couldn't help but smirk as he leaned against the second table leg, stretching his legs out across the floor. Warm whiskey seeped through his pant legs.

Reno reached out for the bottle, and Rude hesitated a little. Reno seemed a bit over his usual limit.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Reno said, withdrawing his hand, "you gotta catch up with me."

"I'm not sure I want to," Rude replied, taking another slug anyway.

Reno grinned and looked over the floor for his cigarettes.

"Sure you do." He said, locating his pack underneath the table.

As Reno fumbled a cigarette out of his pack and searched his pockets for a lighter, Rude steadily drank away. He hadn't had a drink in a while, and this couldn't really hurt. He was just a little curious as to why Reno had been drinking alone in the dark.

"What's the problem?" Rude asked, watching Reno extract a lighter from his pocket.

Reno looked at him before lighting up his smoke.

"Life is peachy." The redhead said, stowing his lighter away and inhaling.

Reno didn't want to talk about it evidently, so Rude changed the subject.

"How was Tifa's?"

Reno grinned, tugging at his hair.

"Why don't you come with me sometime and find out?" Reno teased.

"I'll wait until I'm invited, Reno."

Reno frowned slightly.

"She invites you all the time!" He whined, putting on a falsetto voice, "_When is Rude coming to dinner? Why don't you bring Rude? Blah, blah, blah..._"

Rude smiled a little at that, and decided not to pursue it.

"What have you been doing there?"

Reno pulled his goggles off and combed his fingers through his fringe.

"Pest control." He answered after a moment.

* * *

"...so I told that prick he could hop, skip, and jump up my _ass_!"

After they'd finished what was left of the first bottle, Reno had stumbled to his feet and suggested they open another one. Rude had half-heartedly objected, but Reno had already cracked the second bottle and started devouring it, so he let it go.

It was now two hours later and they'd nearly polished off the second bottle.

Reno had started telling stories, chronicling his many experiences. The more Rude consumed, the more entertaining they were. This particular story was good. It was a story about a fight Reno had had on the sidewalk one day. He'd been walking along innocently enough when someone had collided with him and knocked him over. Reno had lost his temper straight away, as he usually did, and got into a loud argument with this person. This person just happened to be a boy of about ten who had been playing hopscotch with friends when Reno absent-mindedly walked into the game.

"And, you know, he didn't say _anything_ to that." Reno was saying now, "He just fuckin' ran. Pussy."

Rude chuckled and crossed his legs. It was good to be doing this with Reno, it had been a while.

Reno was eyeing Rude up. He was still wearing his sunglasses, even though they were inside. He did that a lot, and Reno didn't get it. It made him think of Vincent with his cape. He was suddenly irritated.

"Take those stupid things off," Reno said, snatching the shades off of Rude's face, "Can't look you in the eye when you're wearing them."

Rude was a little surprised, and a little uncomfortable. He looked at Reno enquiringly.

"It's dishonest," Reno said, wagging a finger at Rude, "you bastards try to cover up so nobody knows something about you. Well, it's not fair!"

Reno broke off angrily and lit another cigarette.

"Reno..."

Rude knew what Reno was trying to say, but he didn't understand why it had made him agitated all of a sudden.

"No, it's stupid," Reno continued, "you think wearing those or wearing a stupid cape is gonna make you less of a fuckup? It just makes you look stupid."

Rude stared. _Cape?_ _Who wears a cape?_

Ah.

Rude scooted a little closer to Reno and took the bottle from him.

"Reno, you're an open person," Rude said, "and when you screw up, or when the world screws you over, you just pay your dues and get on with it. Not everyone does that."

Reno looked down and grumbled under his breath.

Rude decided this might be a moment where he could get some answers out of his friend.

_We can cut the crap, dear friend, because I know exactly who you're talking about._

"Take my advice, and don't question what Vincent does. You don't know anything about him."

Reno looked up at Rude angrily for a moment. Rude was surprised when Reno sighed and lay down next to him, resting his head in Rude's lap.

"I can't know anything about him if he won't let me." Reno said resignedly.

Rude stroked Reno's hair.

"He won't let you know anything if you don't let him tell you in his own time. And nobody would bare their soul to someone who can't accept what they're like."

Reno nodded, his eyes fluttering a little. Rude realized how tired he must be, having gotten up early. He continued to stroke Reno's hair until he closed his eyes. Rude was glad they'd stuck together after leaving the Turks. He was glad in general that Reno was a part of his life. He couldn't remember what it was like not having the redhead around, and he didn't want to. Rude knew Reno was happier now, his life before the Turks hadn't been the best. As far as Rude was concerned, there was never a better meeting between two people. They'd be miserable now if it weren't for each other.

Eventually, Reno started snoring, so Rude picked his friend up and carried him to bed.

~ * ~

End Chapter XI.

We apologize yet AGAIN for the delay. You asked us not to take another two months to update, and we didn't. We took THREE!

So...grovelling, grovelling...T_T

We've found that as the story moves along, it's getting more and more complicated, so we've been hitting a lot of roadblocks along the way. We are, however, hoping that it's been worth the trouble, and that you'll enjoy it :D

So, flip to the next chapter immediately, as a reward for your patience and loyalty.

(Oh, please be loyal!)

On that note, we would love to thank everyone who has reviewed/favorited this story. It means a great deal to us that you are enjoying and we hope we will continue to keep you entertained.

Aerys and Plex!


	12. Now, Tomorrow, Always XII

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By: **Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

Vincent glanced over at Reno, who was on the sofa, his nose buried in the art book, again. The redhead no longer looked so strained when he looked at that painting. Vincent couldn't help but notice that Reno looked rather tranquil lately. As though whatever had made the Turk stressed before was no longer an issue.

It was unbelievable the change Vincent had seen in Reno over the last few weeks. The teal eyed man had no problem with speaking to Vincent anymore and Vincent had little problem with speaking back. A few days after the "Reno Magic" rift, things between the two men had been a little tense. Everything had settled down and Vincent found himself beginning to enjoy Reno's company.

They rarely spoke to each other, and Vincent had no problem with that. When they did speak, Vincent noticed that it wasn't full conversations but more fragments of something that could resemble a conversation. Reno had a weird way of tripping over his words, stumbling around them until he managed to get what he was trying to say out. It was a unique way to speak to someone, and Vincent didn't find it as annoying as he once did.

Vincent first noticed the "verbal stumbling" a couple of weeks back, when Reno invited himself over to the house again and found him and Tifa outside. They were enjoying a spot of tea in the yard, beneath the shade of the big lemon tree.

_Tifa had left the two men alone, while she made Reno's coffee. Vincent didn't say anything to the red head, but sat there with his legs and arms crossed, with his eyes closed. It was two days after the "Reno Magic" incident and Vincent was hoping there wouldn't be a rerun of that._

_Reno sat opposite of Vincent, almost nervously flicking his fingernails as he looked everywhere but at the raven haired man. Vincent didn't have to look at Reno to know the former Turk was feeling uneasy. Vincent made a note that if Reno didn't speak in the next minute, this little meeting would be over. He still needed to figure out Fenrir's problem._

"_Fuck," Reno said and stood. He rested against the tree trunk and pulled out a packet of cigarettes._

_Vincent opened his eyes and looked at Reno curiously. He wondered what was going through that insane mind. When Reno lit his cigarette, Vincent closed his eyes again._

_Vincent was content to stay like that until Reno started muttering something. Most of what Reno had said made no sense, the words sounded made-up. All that Vincent was able to understand were a few words: Rude, apologize, bastard, icy and fuck. _

_Vincent looked at the redhead again. "Do you speak to yourself out loud often?"_

_Reno glared at Vincent. "No! It's just…Well, with you…Oh, who asked ya?"_

_Vincent closed his eyes. This was going nowhere quickly. He knew Tifa was watching from the kitchen door that led to the orchard. It was apparent she didn't want to interrupt whatever was happening there. If something were to happen._

_Reno sat down again, across from Vincent as he did the first time. "Look, I'm sorry that I got pissy about the "Reno Magic" thing. You and stupid and me. I just had to, you know…"_

_Vincent frowned slightly. The last part of that statement made about as much sense as the words that left Reno's mouth when he was talking to himself. Vincent swallowed. He got the apology he wanted and he was pleased with it. He just hoped that Reno wouldn't want to explain it anymore. The redhead was already failing._

"_Apology acc–"_

"_No! Not again. You don't mean it!" Reno stood up suddenly, grasping the edge of the table tightly, almost as though he would toss it aside if he had to._

"_Yes, I do." Vincent watched Reno cautiously._

_Reno's eyes narrowed. "No, you don't! I only apologized for acting up about it! You want me to apologize for invading your personal space, don't you? Don't bother to deny it. I know I would kill some asshole that invade my personal bubble."_

_Vincent blinked. Reno's little rants were rather entertaining but Vincent didn't want to make him feel insignificant by laughing or even chuckling. Reno had come to apologize and Vincent would take any kind of apology, after all, Reno dealt with instances his way._

"_Very well. Yes, I would like an apology from you for invading my personal space." Vincent picked up his tea and took a sip._

_Reno stood straight, looking down at Vincent. "Fine. I'm sorry that I entered your bubble and I'm sorry that I breathed into your ears and I'm sorry that I overreacted. Happy?"_

_Vincent placed the cup on its little saucer and nodded. "Yes. Apology accepted."_

""_Apology accepted"?" Reno repeated. "You are so – argh! You're so disposable!" he exclaimed as he walked off._

_Vincent's eyes widened a fraction and he turned in the chair to watch Reno storm off. _Disposable?_ Vincent shook his head,_ disposable?_ Something was not right there. Then again, Reno seemed like the type of person who did not think before they spoke. It may have just been a slip. _Disposable?_ Vincent knew he would be thinking about that for a while until Reno explained it._

_* * *_

_It had been a week since Reno had apologized for the incident in the library, and two days later apologized for his reaction to Vincent accepting his apology. Vincent was outside on the back porch with the children, feeding the local birds. ^_

_Vincent looked up when Marlene squealed and ran to the door, scaring the birds. Denzel and he looked to where the girl was standing, hugging Reno. Reno picked Marlene up and carried her over to where Vincent and Denzel sat and sat her beside Denzel._

"_What are you guys up to?" Reno asked as he sat behind the kids._

"_We're feeding the birds, Uncle Reno." Marlene held up an almost empty bag of seed. "Uncle Vincent, we're almost out of seed. Is there any more?"_

_Vincent looked away from the small black bird that was sitting on his shoulder to look at the girl. "I think so. It should be in the pantry."_

_Marlene and Denzel stood and ran inside. Vincent wondered why they both needed to go. They were children and it was impossible to understand how they thought. He glanced back at the bird that was on his shoulder, feeding it a sunflower seed._

"_So, how do I do this?" Reno glanced at Vincent._

_Vincent turned his attention back to Reno and held a closed hand out in front of the redhead. "Hold your hand up," he instructed. "The birds might be a bit cautious of you as they're not used to you being around."_

_Vincent put a handful of seed into Reno's hand and looked at the birds that were sitting on the edge of the porch, a couple inching forward. Reno thrust his hand forward, scaring them back to the edge. He sighed and pouted a little._

_Vincent shook his head. Reno's eagerness was rather appealing, even if he did come across a little aggressive. Vincent placed his hand on Reno's wrist, adding a little more seed. He made a small trail of the seed, leading it back to Reno's hand._

_Vincent gave the bird on his shoulder another sunflower seed and watched Reno with the birds. He knew the firecracker wouldn't harm the animals, but the same couldn't be said for the birds. While most of them consisted of doves and pigeons, there were a couple of ravens and crows lurking about._

_A few of the doves moved forward, pecking at the seed on the floor before they jumped into Reno's hand. Reno looked at Vincent and grinned._

_Vincent inclined his head and forced the black bird on his shoulder onto his hand and placed it on Reno's wrist so it could eat. Vincent opened up Reno's spare hand, placing more seed down for the birds. He glanced at the tray of sunflower seeds on the grass and noticed it would need refilling._

"_Is this what you do when you're not closed off in the library?"_

_Vincent rested back on his claw, his hand draped over the knee that was up as his other leg was tucked beneath. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. Even though he loved the library, he did feel the need to get out and enjoy the sunshine._

"_Yes." Vincent didn't feel like speaking at great length today and he felt that Reno picked up on that little fact as he didn't ask anything more._

_Vincent opened his eyes a couple of minutes later and looked around. Denzel and Marlene had been gone for a while. Much longer than it took to retrieve a bag of seed. He wanted to check up on them, but Reno seemed to enjoy being covered in birds. Vincent wondered if Reno had ever done anything like this before. There was a serene look on the redhead's face and Vincent assumed this was a first time for Reno._

_Vincent felt a spark of pride. It was a wonderful feeling to share something so simple, yet personal with someone who had never done it before. And from the look on Reno's face, Vincent was happy that he was feeding the birds today. Other than reading, it was one of his favorite pastimes. Another one was ballroom dancing._

_Vincent had a feeling that Reno would not be interested in that. The only other person that enjoyed dancing was Tifa and Vincent did enjoy the rare nights in the kitchen where they would just randomly waltz. Something that Vincent wished would happen a little more often._

"_Could you top me up?"_

_Vincent glanced at Reno's hands and saw that he was out of seed. He put some more into Reno's hands and took back the black bird, placing it on Reno's shoulder. Vincent got a weird urge to tuck Reno's hair behind his ear but fought it back. Things did not need to be complicated by stupid actions like that. And it brought back the question of where the children were._

_Vincent looked up when he heard someone approaching them and saw that it was Tifa with a platter. Apparently she had just served lunch._

"_Thought you two might get hungry. And Vincent, try not to feed it to the birds this time." Tifa gave Vincent a mock warning look and went back inside._

_Reno stood, the birds taking flight, except the little black bird on his shoulder. He tossed the seed onto the grass and sat down at the little table, where Tifa had placed the platter._

"_Not eating?"_

_Vincent stood up, dusting off his pants and hands. He sat on the last chair and looked at what Tifa had served for lunch. Sandwiches filled with cold meats, which were cut into triangles and orange slices. Vincent picked up one of the triangles and nibbled on it._

"_I never realized just how peaceful it was around here. Cloud picked the perfect place to live," Reno commented as he took the orange peel off one of the cuts._

_Vincent stared at the redhead. Maybe there was more to Reno than everyone thought. He wasn't an idiot. He could be cruel when he had to be. He was charming in a lazy, sloppy way. Vincent wondered what else lurked behind the teal depths. It appeared that Reno did not see the world in black and white, but saw the shades of gray that were hidden._

_Vincent looked out over the backyard. There was about three yards before the orchard began. There was a small Periwinkle garden just in front of the back porch. Rose gardens occupied most of the areas in front of windows. There was a herb garden just outside of the kitchen door. Everything had easy access and was well kept. Another task that Tifa didn't seem to have the time to do._

_Vincent lowered his eyes to the sandwich in his hand and wondered how Tifa did it. She had to have help from the children, especially with maintaining the garden. The plants were pruned every year. Vincent felt a little guilty about living in the house, despite the fact that Tifa had begged him to live with them._

"_You okay?"_

_Vincent looked at Reno, who had concern written on his face. Vincent wondered if he had done something then noticed that the platter was nearly finished and he had yet to eat the sandwich in his hand. _Was I lost in my thoughts for that long?

"_Yes, I'm fine."_

_Reno looked as though he wanted to press the issue further but nodded and looked out over the yard again._

_Vincent placed the barely touched sandwich back on the platter and watched the birds. Reno seemed rather peaceful today. And Vincent wondered why that was. It wasn't the first time he had questioned to himself about a silent Reno. It seemed as though, at some points, Reno really did enjoy being in Vincent's company when they were quiet._

_Vincent had to admit, it was calming. Fenrir's problem could always wait. This was the kind of tranquility that Vincent didn't want to rush or have ruined by something that wasn't a necessity. It dawned on Vincent then, that even when they did speak, he was beginning to enjoy having Reno around more and more. It felt good to have the company of someone else, rather than just his own. Vincent was not the most interesting person in the world to be around._

_Vincent acknowledged Tifa when she returned for the platter and placed a cup of coffee and a cup of tea on the table. Reno seemed to be in his own world and it looked like a good thing. The redhead had a glazed look in his eyes as he stared at nothing and a gentle smile on his lips. Vincent was curious as to what he was thinking about._

_Vincent drank his tea and glanced at Reno's cup. He wanted to tell the redhead his coffee was there, but didn't want to disturb him. After all, when Reno came out of his thoughts, he would see it or smell it. Vincent didn't want to know how many spoonfuls of coffee Reno had in one cup. Vincent felt he would be up all night just from the scent._

_Reno came out of his daze and picked up the coffee as though he knew it had been there all along. Vincent had a feeling Reno did. Reno could not have been a Turk that long if his observation skills were that bad._

"_Why did you move in here?" Reno blurted out, looking a little embarrassed._

_Vincent shrugged and realized he was without his cape today. "Tifa threatened to cry if I refused."_

_Reno laughed and almost spilt his coffee. He placed it on the table and continued to laugh. "Tifa…" he started as he began to calm down. "…Tifa doesn't seem like the type of woman to cry." Reno wiped his eyes._

"_She is also a woman that likes to get her way. She can be rather manipulative when she wants to be." Vincent finished off his tea._

"_If that's the case, why can't she convince Rude to eat over here more often?" Reno sighed and slouched in the chair a little, still chuckling from time to time._

_Vincent placed his empty cup on the saucer. "She does have a lot of work to do around the house. However, I have no doubt that when she does invite him over, he comes, correct?"_

_Reno smirked. "Oh, I'm sure he _comes_."_

_Vincent wasn't sure if he wanted to understand the hidden meaning behind that. In many ways, Reno's mind was like a child's. No-one could possibly hope to understand what goes inside his head and some remarks could leave an entire room speechless. The mind of a dirty child._

_Vincent realized he must have looked clueless as Reno burst out laughing again. "What is wrong with you? You know what I mean."_

A very dirty child,_ Vincent concluded. "I was hoping you weren't referring to that."_

_Reno cocked an eyebrow and gave Vincent an odd look. "We're both adults. I'm sure that the occasional sex talk is nothing to fear."_

Fear?_ Vincent thought about it. Sex talk didn't frighten him; he just didn't think there was any need to talk about one's latest conquests. Vincent thought back to the pub. Reno would have no hard time trying to pick someone up. The redhead may not have been the smoothest talker in the room that night, but he got his point across, many times. _And he's attractive.

"_Fear?"_

"_W-well…I mean, I always thought you were a virgin," Reno stuttered, looking away._

_Vincent outwardly showered his surprise. His eyes widened and mouth fell open. He could not believe Reno thought he was a virgin. But it did make Vincent think:_ Do I come across as a virgin?

"_A virgin?" Vincent repeated. "Because I would not have intercourse with you that night?"_

"_Wha – no! No, not because of that. But… I don't know! I just got the feeling that you hadn't found someone special enough to fu… screw." Reno's eyes returned to Vincent and he saw that Vincent still looked shocked._

_Vincent regained his composure. He was about to explain, when Tifa showed up out of nowhere. It was just the way Vincent usually entered a room; appearing out of thin air. He looked up at the woman._

"_Dinner is almost done. Will you be staying, Reno?" Tifa asked, glancing from Reno to Vincent._

"_Sure. Smells good."_

_Tifa grinned. "Will you be dining out here with Vincent?"_

"_Do you mind, Vincent?"_

_Vincent shook his head. He had no problem with eating lunch with Reno, why would he have a problem with eating dinner with him?_

_Tifa nodded and went back to the kitchen. Vincent glanced at the setting sun. He didn't even realize how late it was or the fact they had spent hours not talking then speaking almost nonstop. Vincent made sure Reno wasn't observing him in any way and let a small smile appear. It had been one of the best days of his life._

_* * *_

_It was early. Not even seven in the morning yet and the markets were buzzing with the life of the stall owners setting up._

_Vincent casually wandered around. He wasn't there to buy, not at that hour. He had woken up earlier than usual and couldn't get back to sleep. It had been a while since he had had a look around the markets and decided no harm could come from it._

_Vincent looked at the produce that was being set up. He nodded his head politely at the people setting up the stalls and would continue on his way. He did that at every wooden structure. He didn't bat an eyelid when there was a crash and a loud curse, no-one did._

_Vincent took his time, even when people began corralling in the streets. He figured he must have taken longer than he thought as the markets became alive with people haggling, the sound of money rattling around and shouts of parents to their children._

_Vincent dodged between running children and flying handbags. He suddenly remembered why he didn't like the marketplace when it was in full swing. Some people could just be rather inconsiderate, though they probably don't know they were being that way._

_Vincent stopped at one stall and checked out their fish selection. He tilted his head to the side as he thought about it. He couldn't remember the last time they had had fish, but seeing as he didn't bring any money with him, he decided it would have wait until the next time he was out in public._

_Vincent felt something tugging at the bottom of his cape and turned around. He looked down and raised an eyebrow at a brown tabby kitten that had been playing with the torn ends of the material. He didn't realize that Midgar had a stray population, though it came as no surprise. He crouched down and petted the little animal for a moment and went on his way through the crowds._

_As he walked, Vincent noticed that the crowd had parted. It was like a spontaneous act as everyone tried to get in first. It was the first time that day it had happened and when it did, Vincent noticed someone walking through the mass of people, also. Someone, he was not expecting to see there._

_Reno walked around, a look of happiness on his face as he smiled and waved at stall owners. He seemed to be elsewhere, though he was acknowledging everyone that called out to him._

_Both men stopped about three feet apart, staring at the other. Reno broke out into a grin and closed the distance. He stopped smiling as his eyes went to Vincent's cape and Vincent got a feeling of dread as Reno bit down on the orange he was in the middle of devouring and undid the buckles of his cape._

_Vincent stood still. He couldn't believe he was letting Reno do that to him. Allowing the redhead to expose him in public._

_Reno slipped the cape gently off Vincent's shoulders, folded it and handed it back to him. He took the orange out of his mouth and grinned again. "There, that's much better."_

_Vincent felt a little uneasy, though he didn't show it. He glanced around to make sure no-one had noticed him being undressed. He swallowed and nodded. Reno seemed so pleased for him to be without his cape when they were together that Vincent didn't want to cause a scene, like what had happened three months ago, around the same area._

_Vincent turned and walked with Reno as the redhead ate his orange. Without realizing it, Vincent asked, "Why are you here so early?"_

_Reno gave Vincent a sidelong glance. "I help out in the mornings. Ya know a lot of these people really shouldn't be doing this kind of manual labor, so I put my young blood to work." Reno laughed._

_Vincent blinked. He honestly did not think of Reno as that kind of person. In all truth, Reno didn't seem like the kind of person to go out of their way to help another unless it could benefit them. Maybe Reno wasn't as straight forward as Vincent through he was. He had proved that well with the birds._

_For some reason, to Vincent, Reno's aura seemed different. It seemed to glow brighter and be much more…tender, at least right now it seemed that way. There was a gentle twinkle in Reno's eyes as he looked at the stall owners. All Vincent could do was stare._

"_Come on, I know I'm gorgeous, but do you have to be so open with the admiring?" Reno teased._

"_Excuse me?" Vincent blinked again and tried to clear his head. Something had definitely changed about Reno. But when Vincent caught sight of Reno's smirk, he figured maybe he had been wrong. "Admiring?"_

"_Yeah. You've been staring at me for a while. I figured I had something on my face or you were admiring me. I liked the 'admiring me' one better."_

_Vincent raised an eyebrow but continued to walk on. He would pause when Reno did and for some reason, Vincent got a strange feeling like he was on a date with Reno. It was different, though a little unnerving._

_From time to time, Reno would remark on someone's fruit and vegetables, or make mention of the fish. Vincent found it somewhat adorable to see Reno get excited about sharing something as simple as these stalls with him._

_It lasted a little more than an hour, not that Vincent was counting the minutes he had alone with Reno. As soon as they seen the whole market place, they started the walk back to the house, where Reno said something that caught Vincent completely off guard._

"_I'm quite shocked, actually, with you, Vincent."_

"_Why is that?"_

_Reno turned his head to Vincent. "I thought you would have exploded into flames in the sun."_

"_What?" The word slipped out before Vincent could think it over and the smirk on Reno's face made Vincent feel even more – what's the word? – Uncomfortable. Almost as though Reno had said that just to get that reaction from Vincent._

"_You're always inside or in the shade. I figured you were a vampire. Being so pale and all."_

"_Hm." They continued on in silence until Vincent spoke. "I get that a lot."_

_Reno laughed and Vincent allowed his lips a vague tug of a smile. There certainly was something different about Reno._

* * *

Vincent stood and went to the window by the sofa. He stared at the small rose garden outside the window. He glanced down at the redhead, who was looking up at him. Vincent looked away and suddenly found himself wishing he had his cape on.

Since that day with the birds, Vincent didn't find the need to wear his cape around Reno anymore. It didn't mean he was completely comfortable with Reno seeing him, but after that accident, nearly four months ago, Vincent realized he had nothing to hide anymore.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?"

Reno placed the book on the sofa beside him. He stood and stretched his arms above his head. He sighed and scratched the small of his back. "Yeah. My legs could do a bit of a stretch."

Vincent and Reno left the library going into the kitchen. Reno went straight to the plate on the counter, that was piled high with brownies. Vincent was going to warn Reno not to touch them, but decided that Tifa wouldn't mind if it was Reno and not one of the children.

Vincent filled the kettle and put it on to boil. He got out two clean cups, the coffee and the tea. He placed a teabag in one of the cups and glanced at Reno.

"I don't know how you have your coffee."

Reno looked at Vincent, his mouth full with a brownie. Vincent fought back a laugh. The redhead looked so much like a child right then that it was hard to believe he was once a Turk. Vincent cleared his throat, knowing he would be having a good chuckle about later that night.

"_He deals with what he has done wrong in his life his way."_ Vincent recalled and wondered if eating brownies that way was one of the ways. He doubted it.

Reno walked over to Vincent and opened the coffee. He put in as much as he liked, closed the coffee and went back to the brownies. Reno couldn't recollect the last time he had brownies this nice. He made a note to compliment Tifa on them.

When the kettle started whistling, Vincent turned it off and added the water to the cups. He went to the refrigerator and got the milk. He added it to his tea and wasn't sure, again, if Reno had milk in his coffee. It seemed odd that they had spent nearly four months in each other's company and Vincent didn't know the simplest things about the redhead.

"Milk?" Vincent glanced over his shoulder and saw Reno shake his head. Vincent shook his own head and returned the milk. He stirred the coffee and the tea and removed the teabag, placing it in the bin. He handed the coffee to Reno, picked up his tea and headed back to the library.

Vincent went to his spot behind the desk, setting the cup down on a corner of the desk. He realized just how unenthusiastic he was about this Fenrir thing. At this moment in time, Vincent really wouldn't care if the bike just blew up and forced Cloud to get a new one.

_Why doesn't Cloud just get a new one?_ Vincent asked himself. That night in the pub was the first day Vincent started working on the problem. How long will it take Cloud to realize that perhaps Fenrir has decided to just give up? After all, the poor thing has gone through a lot over the last few years and Cloud was never gentle with it. After all, the original Fenrir was killed. Maybe Cloud killed his Fenrir.

Vincent sat down and closed his eyes. Something had to be wrong somewhere. Maybe if he used Cerberus…Vincent sighed to himself. Now he was resorting to violent thoughts about the piece of machinery. Vincent opened his eyes and saw that the problem was still in front of him.

"Still can't figure out what's wrong with it?"

Vincent glanced at Reno. It must seem weird to him that all he has seen Vincent do in the library is stare at notes, books and blueprints. Vincent couldn't really help it. The problem was annoying. So very annoying. So annoying, in fact, that Vincent couldn't just leave it be. He had to know what was wrong with it.

Reno drank his coffee and sighed with a goofy grin on his face. "Well, I gotta go. Rude is expecting me home tonight. See ya tomorrow!" Reno left the library, took the cup to the kitchen, rinsed it out and left the house. Tifa and the kids had gone out shopping.

Vincent sat back in the chair, picking up his tea. He drank it slowly and looked around the library. He noticed that Reno forgot to return the book and stood. He went over to the sofa and picked up the book. He closed it gently and put it to rest in its spot on the shelf.

Vincent stood before the window that separated the art from the war history. From there, he could see the orange, lemon and lime trees. He continued to stand there until his tea was gone. He did the same as Reno. Took the cup to the kitchen, rinsed it out and went to his room. He laid on his bed, staring up at his ceiling.

With the house being empty and having enough of Fenrir's problem, Vincent found himself to be rather bored. He stood and looked around his room. He had a small pile of dirty clothes in the corner behind his door. He picked them up and took them to the laundry. He put them in the washing machine, along with the powder and set the machine to the right options and left.

Vincent entered the kitchen. He tidied up the little mess he had with making the coffee and tea. He considered having a drink of wine, but quickly decided against it. He wasn't in the mood for a drink.

Vincent left the kitchen and wandered around the house idly. He stopped half way up the stairs and wondered where Nanaki was. He figured he was with the Edge Guards in trying to clean up the city. He continued up the stairs and went to the bathroom. He undressed and placed his clothes in the hamper. Even though he only had a shower a few hours ago, he felt like soaking in a tub of cool water.

Vincent filled the bath with water of the right temperature. He removed his claw, placed it on the counter beside the basin, along with his headband and lowered himself into the water. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back. He almost wished he had gone for a hot bath, but this was just as good on a day like today.

It had been humid. Apparently, there was a big storm on the way towards them. The news is saying it might be one of the worst that Midgar had ever seen. Vincent just hoped it wouldn't stop Reno's daily visits.

Vincent opened his eyes to slivers of crimson. He stared at the opposite wall of the bath, thinking about Reno and that book. The art book. The nameless art book. Through the years, the cover had become faded, so much so that the name of the book could not be read. He still wondered why that picture affected Reno in such a manner.

_It must remind him of someone._ Vincent lowered himself even more until he was completely submerged in the water and closed his eyes again. The gentle waves from his movements were soothing. Vincent came back up before he fell asleep. He got out and pulled the plug. He opened the cabinet beneath the basin and pulled out a towel. He looked up when he heard the front door open. He heard Tifa and the children.

Vincent dried his hair and wrapped the towel around his hips. He picked up his claw and headband and went to his room. He placed his claw and headband on the bed and dried his body, discarding the towel to the corner behind his door. He opened his closet and pulled on a pair of leather pants and a v-neck sweater. He put his claw and headband on and left his room.

Vincent descended the stairs, Tifa meeting him at the bottom. She looked over Vincent's head and raised an eyebrow. Vincent knew she was asking about Reno.

"He had to go home," Vincent explained and continued on his way to the laundry. He pulled his clothes out and hung them up on the inside clothesline.

Vincent entered the kitchen and helped put away the last of the shopping. The children ran off to the living room to play a little before dinner. One of them put on one of Vincent's records and soon the house was filled with gentle classical music.

Vincent waited until Tifa had finished preparing dinner and had it cooking before he looked at her and offered his hand. Tifa smiled and took it. They began waltzing around the kitchen. Vincent had forgotten how good a dancer Tifa was. He only had to show her the basics moves, the rest she picked up quickly.

As they passed the stove, Tifa would glance at the pots to make sure everything wasn't burning and they continued doing the laps. When the song ended, Vincent kissed Tifa's hand and let her get back to what she needed to do. He left the kitchen and watched the children from the living room entrance. He saw they were mimicking himself and Tifa.

The front door opened and Vincent heard pounding feet going up the stairs. He figured Cloud needed something before he left for the night. Sometimes Vincent had to question why Cloud stayed at the orphanage all day and night. Everyone in the house was beginning to think he no longer lived there. Denzel was very upset by it.

Cloud left a few minutes later. Vincent had to try and remember what Cloud looked like. It had been a while since he had last seen the blond. He had no doubt that Tifa was checking up on him on a regular basis. Cloud would be completely hopeless if it wasn't for Tifa.

"Uncle Vincent?" Marlene called. "Why aren't you wearing your cape?"

Vincent looked down at the girl. He didn't notice the children had stopped dancing and were watching him. He figured it must have happened when Cloud entered the house.

"I can wear it, if you like, Marlene."

Marlene shook her head. "No, I like you better without it. You don't look so scary."

Vincent blinked. He looked scary in the cape? Maybe he did look a little out of place in it in a crowd. But, everyone was entitled to their own opinions. And perhaps to children that didn't know him, he may seem unapproachable and a little menacing.

Tifa appeared beside Vincent. "All right, you two. Dinner is almost ready. Go wash up." Tifa stepped to the side to let the children through, and then turned her attention to Vincent. "Why aren't you wearing your cape these days?"

"It needs to be cleaned," Vincent half lied and went to set up the table. He could feel Tifa's eyes on him until he entered the kitchen. Vincent didn't even know why he wasn't wearing it. But he had a feeling it had to do with Reno and the night the redhead saw him shirtless.

~ * ~

End Chapter XII.

^ I doubt that Midgar has local birds, but they do now. Besides, things have changed since DoC and AC. n_n Cheers~

And now a word from our sponsors!

Reno: I just want to say that Vincent should maybe think about moving from time to time, and somebody needs to get me some protection from Plex. Seriously, guys, don't let her near me anymore. You'll see.

Vincent: *stares at Reno* You think you have it bad? You only need to deal with what Plexus does to you. I'm the one who has to deal with the emotional baggage afterwards. Honestly, Reno, sometimes I think you enjoy ruining everything for everyone.

Reno: Emotional baggage?! I'll just bet you're looking forward to the "opportunities" it'll offer! You know you're just dying to-

*Aerys and Plex tape Reno's mouth before he ruins the story.*

On that note, we would like to apologize for the delay, once again. We decided to keep you interested and post two chapters. We do hope you enjoyed them.

To everyone who has reviewed/favorited this story, we send out our sincerest thanks. If not for you, we probably would have quit after the first five chapters.

Anyhoo, please review!

Love from Aerys and Plex!...and our sponsors as well, I guess.


	13. Now, Tomorrow, Always XIII

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By: **Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

_It was early morning, and the sun was filtering merrily through the library windows. It was just a nice day. The sky was blue, the heat wasn't too bad, and the golden light in the library was very pretty._

_Reno sat cross legged on the floor, not doing much of anything. His chin rested on his hand, eyes a little unfocussed. It was the kind of day that made you relaxed and calm, and Reno liked that. He lived at a ridiculous pace, so a nice slow day was good for a rest. It made Reno feel oddly content._

_Vincent was in the room, as usual. Today he'd turned his chair to face out of the huge window behind his desk. Reno hadn't even laid eyes on the man yet; he'd been facing that way ever since Reno walked in. Reno was used to Vincent's behavior after these last few weeks. He didn't question it anymore. Reno had just walked in and sat down without saying anything. The conversation was generally better, these days. Reno was always full of questions and now Vincent would actually answer them. It wasn't always like that, though. Sometimes they'd just sit quietly. Today was one of those days. Reno hadn't worried himself over anything, he'd just sat down and shut up._

_At one point, Vincent had asked without turning around if Reno was okay. _

_That had been roughly an hour ago, and Reno was still sitting in silence. That was okay, but he didn't like pretending Vincent didn't exist._

_Reno dragged himself to his feet, stretching as he went. One thing he hadn't stopped doing over the past few weeks, was pushing Vincent, seeing how far he could go._

_Reno walked around to Vincent's side of the desk. _

_Things had changed over the last few weeks. It had been a slow transition, and not a very drastic one, but it was different. Reno's liberties weren't so often met with cold rebuttal. They weren't often received with warmth or anything, but they were tolerated._

_Reno stood next to Vincent's high backed chair and considered the man sitting there. Vincent still had the habit of disregarding the ex-Turk from time to time, and this was one of them._

_Reno wasn't fazed by that, and sat down on the arm of the chair, leaning back and flinging an arm over the back of it. He didn't touch Vincent directly, knowing a little better than that. It still made Reno stare down at the man, wondering what his reaction would be._

_Vincent turned his head and looked up at Reno. He was completely expressionless, but there was a little twinkle lurking in his eyes that worried Reno._

_They both turned back to the window and passed the next couple of hours with some idle chatter, and plenty of silence._

* * *

That had been only a couple of days ago, and Reno had been a little uneasy ever since.

It was near closing time at the Seventh Heaven, and people were dwindling away. Reno had been there for a few hours now, not drinking heavily, but enough to calm himself a little.

He'd headed into the pub hoping to get some thinking done, and the buzzing of drunks seemed to zone him out. It was something Reno felt he needed.

The last few weeks had gone quickly, but the past couple of days had affected Reno strangely. The way things had changed with Vincent seemed to indicate something. It was almost like things were suddenly pointing in a direction Reno didn't much like. Not with Vincent, because Reno honestly believed that nobody could ever move anywhere with the man. It was more a problem with himself.

Reno was genuinely afraid of the way he found himself reacting to Vincent's behavior. The incident with the chair had made him worry, because it was a little too strange for Vincent to allow that kind of thing. Reno had a certain expectation by this time that Vincent would behave a certain way, despite his attempts at pushing the man. It had never really seemed like a reality to Reno that he'd get anywhere.

Reno had long abandoned his perception of Vincent as a conquest, for more reasons than one.

He wasn't blind enough to not notice that Vincent just wasn't that kind of person, and there was also a little shame in Reno when his thoughts wandered. As if he was somehow violating the man.

This worried Reno, because he knew for a fact that he wouldn't feel that way if he didn't care about Vincent. At this point, though…

Reno liked the man.

Vincent was smart, for one thing. That appealed to Reno, because it meant Vincent was usually able to articulate the ideas Reno had, and actually explain things to him so that Reno could develop his thoughts better. It was good to have someone sort of explain yourself to you, if that made any sense.

Sure, Vincent made fun of him a lot, but it didn't get to Reno too much any more. He actually liked to hear it these days. It was like Vincent had a fun loving streak in him, but it just wasn't noticeably developed.

There were only a few people in the pub now, a group of four men in a corner. They'd been there when Reno arrived, and they'd gotten louder and louder as the night wore on. They'd tried to start a fight earlier on, with one of the patrons.

He had left immediately, and the barmaid had warned the men to keep it civil. Reno supposed the convenience of the pub was worth enough to them to cut the crap, because they didn't try anything on anyone else after that. Although, Reno liked to shit-stir.

So he'd waved at them cheerily from the other side of the pub. They'd glared at him, so then he decided to flip them off. It might have been a stupid decision, but Reno was in a particularly abrasive mood tonight.

Reno sighed, and gestured to the barmaid for another drink. She smiled, knowing full well Reno's habits by now. He hadn't been around much lately, but he was just one of those characters that you never forgot.

With another drink in hand, Reno closed his eyes. He never anticipated any of this. Things hadn't really gone the way he'd planned.

Actually, that was a lie. Nothing _could_ go the way Reno had planned, because he'd never had a plan in the first place. Really, he'd just gone on and on without a map. Travelling at a crazy pace, too, which was potentially a dangerous thing when you had no idea where you were going.

The men in the corner were gesturing towards Reno and muttering mutinously to each other now. Reno winked at them, and went back to his drink.

Reno had gathered a lot of reasons to change his lifestyle, but he never had. He didn't want to, to be honest. There had only been a few times when he had taken the time to question his actions. Reno was gifted with the understanding that mulling over the past can't change it. In this respect, he felt he was a little wiser than Vincent.

Reno knew very little about Vincent, but he was aware that the man had demons. Vincent had a kind of restraint about him. That kind of thing told Reno that Vincent had given himself a good reason to calculate his actions very carefully. There was a difference between being careful, and simply closing down, though. Reno knew that, and he had no doubt that Vincent had shut himself off.

It made Reno sad in a way, because he knew the reason why he and Vincent were polar opposites. Reno never stopped saying yes to life, and Vincent said no. They were both extremes, and it wasn't good for either of them. If Reno said 'no' once in a while, he might have avoided a whole lot of trouble. If Vincent considered saying 'yes', he might find himself enjoying life more.

Vincent didn't _always_ say no, though he never really said yes. He compromised in a way. It was as if he got tired with his epoch from time to time, and ended up doing something out of character. Nothing extreme, but _something _at least. Reno had seen a little of this.

"_I'm bored."_

_Vincent looked up from his book and regarded the redhead. He had been pacing the library for the past fifteen minutes or so._

"_Entertain yourself then." Vincent replied._

"_How am I supposed to do that?" Reno scowled._

_Vincent raised an eyebrow._

"_How do you usually entertain yourself?"_

_Reno stopped pacing and smiled at the man on the sofa._

"_Well…" He said thoughtfully, "Where do you keep your booze?"_

_Vincent shook his head._

"_I'm afraid I can't help you in that department, Reno."_

_Reno grinned again. He rather liked this conversation. He was being entertained already, just by baiting his dark-haired companion._

"_You could take your clothes off, that'd entertain me plenty." Reno beamed. He wouldn't have dared to say something like that a few weeks ago, but the comfort level had changed with Vincent since then. He knew the man could take it as a joke._

_Vincent's eyebrow went up again._

"_Nor that department."_

_Reno drew his hand across his face in a rather comical mimic of despair._

"_We could feed the birds again." He said, looking hopefully at Vincent._

"_It's eight o'clock at night, Reno. I don't think the birds are particularly hungry right now."_

_Reno shook his long hair over his shoulder._

"_Birds! That's it, I know!" He shouted, "Tifa!"_

_Vincent closed his book and sighed. Reno drew the most ridiculous parallels._

"_She's working tonight, yeah?" Reno continued, "We could go and meet her and hang out and bring her home when she's done!"_

_Yes, Reno was prone to babbling._

_Vincent looked towards the library window._

"_Tifa doesn't need to be brought home."_

_Reno frowned slightly._

"_Yeah, but it'd give us something to do, and she might like it."_

_Vincent looked down at his shirt. Reno knew this sort of thing by now. He knew one part of Vincent wanted to go, but that something in his nature was telling him to object. Reno also knew by now that he needed to feed the part that wanted to._

"_It would be a nice thing to do, you know." He pushed, "she'd probably appreciate it. And we could keep her company until she finishes. You know that place is filled with dirty old men."_

_Vincent didn't say anything. He continued to look down for a moment, and then stood up. Without a word, he took his cape off of the back of the sofa and put it on. Gesturing to Reno, who followed delightedly, he strode out of the door. Reno didn't even take the time to grab his jacket and mag-rod._

_* * *_

That had been earlier on this evening.

It hadn't gone as planned, though, because Tifa hadn't been here when they'd arrived. That had been an interesting thing, since she had told them she was going to work. Vincent had been concerned, and had left immediately. Reno assumed he was out looking for her.

Reno himself wasn't too worried. The barmaid had told him that Tifa wasn't meant to be working tonight. Reno was sure Tifa had something else to attend to in private, although he wasn't sure what. Tifa wasn't the type to cover things up.

This whole thing had been just another example of Reno's theory on Vincent. The kind of stupid internal struggle he seemed to go through when faced with such a simple thing. To go to the pub, or not? And once he'd taken that small step by saying yes, he was still so painfully restrained.

Reno was exhausted with it. It was just how the man was, and had probably been forever. There was no sense getting baffled over it. You just had to take it or leave it with Vincent.

Reno looked at the grimy clock hanging above the bar. It was getting close to one now. Time to pack it in. The barmaid was already closing things up. He downed the rest of his drink and stood up, before flopping back into his chair. He'd done it again. He'd gotten so preoccupied with his thoughts, that he'd gotten himself completely tanked without realizing it.

Reno laid his hands flat on his table and stood up again, carefully this time. The men in the corner were pointing and laughing at him.

"Fuck off, you lot." Reno growled angrily at them, before turning and walking out the door.

The cool night air chilled Reno slightly, and he wondered why he'd been stupid enough to leave his jacket in the library.

He wasn't even really ready to go home yet, so he headed down the alley next the Heaven, deciding on a detour to pass the time.

Several things happened at once. Reno stopped in his tracks as a group of dark shadows approached him, and before a fist connected with his nose, before he found himself on the ground getting beaten to a pulp, he had time to wonder why he'd left his tazer in the library with his jacket.

~ * ~

End Chapter XIII

And once again, we apologize for taking nearly two months for this update. We promise, we will TRY not to do it in future.

Thanks to everyone for all your wonderful reviews! And welcome to Naoi! Glad to have you on board for the journey. Hope you enjoy the update, same to everyone else.

Aerys and Plex out!


	14. Now, Tomorrow, Always XIV

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By: **Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

**Warnings for this chapter:** Slight gore and insanity.

~ * ~

If Reno had had his tazer, he would still have had some trouble.

There were a few things to take into account here.

The first being that Reno was outnumbered.

The second, that he was caught by surprise.

The third, and most important: He was very, very drunk.

After the first blow landed on his jaw, Reno stumbled backwards, and landed on the pavement. Stars exploded in front of his eyes, and as a result, he didn't see the second blow coming. This one landed on his nose.

Alcohol consumption is meant to inhibit your senses.

It doesn't stop a broken nose from hurting, though.

Reno had broken a lot of bones during his time as a Turk, but never his nose. He would have thought the sensation would be one of _shattering _rather than what it actually was. This was more like it was _splintering._

Reno didn't get a lot of time to dwell on the stinging agony in his nose, though. Apparently the figures couldn't be bothered leaning down to punch him, so they'd decided to employ their boots.

They felt nice and heavy, just right for kicking the shit out of troublemakers.

Reno got to count.

The owners of the heavy boots were very precise. Not a single kick was wasted; they all caused a decent amount of damage.

It occurred to Reno that they'd probably had a lot of experience with this.

By the sixth kick, he was certain that one or two of his ribs were broken.

By the ninth, he suspected that most of his ribcage was.

A foot connected with the side of Reno's head.

_God_, he thought, _not my head. I need that._

After this point, a combination of intoxication and pain drove all coherent thought out of Reno's mind.

He got to number thirty-three before he lost count. It didn't matter, because he wasn't going to survive this anyway. It didn't matter, because he went numb anyway. It didn't matter, because soon after that, the kicking ceased.

Reno lay sprawled out, staring at the sky. After a moment, he began to laugh.

He laughed so hard that he began choking, and he had to turn to his side to spit blood on to the pavement.

Movement, it turned out, wasn't the best idea. As he turned to his side, he was hit by a lightening bolt of pain. His whole torso felt shattered. An image flashed into Reno's mind of a million shards of glass filling a calico bag.

Reno began to sob.

He had a vague idea that he needed help here. He needed to get to someone who could fix him. Fix his ribs, and his nose. Fix everything. Maybe he needed to find an angel, to fix his head. Inside and out.

Completely unaware of the nonsense going through his own head, Reno dragged himself up, one hand on the wall of the pub for support.

Hissing through his teeth, and choking back a scream, Reno began to slowly move down the alleyway.

* * *

Beneath the thick covers of his bed, Vincent made fists with his toes and flexed them. He wriggled them, trying to relieve some of the tension that had built up in the day. It had been a rather tiring day, to say the least.

For some odd reason, Vincent felt as though Reno's restless mood today had made him dip into his reserves. It seemed as though nothing they did would be good enough for the redhead. Something Vincent was not all that fond of.

Somehow, Reno had managed to get Vincent to agree to leave the house and take a trip to Seventh Heaven to pay Tifa a visit. Vincent found that his luck would not be wearing thin as they found out that Tifa was scheduled to work that night.

That was reason enough for Vincent to leave and head straight home.

Vincent knew he had no reason to worry about Tifa. She was a strong woman that could take care of anything that came her way. However, it peeked Vincent's interest as to why Tifa would lie about having to work. The barmaid did make a mention of Tifa not having to work until the next day. That left Vincent with a question that had no answer. Something Vincent did not like very much. What could be so secret that Tifa would have to lie to get away with it?

Vincent didn't spend much time thinking about it. It didn't concern him and until it did, he would leave it alone.

When he arrived home, Vincent showered and went into the library to clear away his cup. He glanced around to make sure Reno had returned the book he had been reading when Vincent noticed items on the sofa that shouldn't be there. He had a feeling that Reno wouldn't be returning for them until the morning.

Though, Reno might invite himself into the house via a window to retrieve his EMR and forget the jacket until later on. Vincent considered leaving the personal affects in the library, though decided against it quickly. It would not end well if the children got curious about the weapon.

With the jacket and EMR in one hand and the empty cup in the other, Vincent left the library, turning out the lights. He put the cup in the sink and walked through the house to make sure the children were in bed. Seeing as they were, Vincent had returned to his room, placing Reno's items on his bedside chest with his claw and headband.

Vincent glanced at the pieces. He had neatly folded Reno's jacket, which he was sure was better than what the redhead would do to it, and placed the EMR on top. They didn't look as out of place as Vincent had thought they might with his headband and claw.

Curiously, Vincent reached out and picked up Reno's weapon. The moon had shown its face tonight and through the open window and curtains, Vincent studied it.

* * *

"_This ooone…"_

Reno stopped and slumped against a wall for a brief second.

"_That ooone…"_

He scowled, and brought his hand to his chest, grabbing the front of it and pulling it out and away from his body.

"That can't be right."

He leaned his shoulder against the rough brick and brought his other hand up to his throat.

"Is it this one?"

Reno rubbed the base of his throat for a second.

"That one?"

He wrapped his fingers around his throat, tightening them a little.

"Which one is it?"

Reno let go of his throat when a violent coughing fit seized him, sending sharp bolts of pain through his chest.

"This one, that one, this fucking one…"

Reno raised his hand to his mouth, and wiped away something red.

He smelled it, and laughed.

He laughed so hard that he lost his hold on the wall and slumped to the ground again.

His eyes were out of focus, but he vaguely perceived a small shape approaching his face. The little thing put its nose to Reno's and sniffed. Reno allowed it.

"And nobody ever fucking knows."

He rubbed his broken nose against the little creature's, and giggled.

"Doing better than me, kitty."

Still giggling, he dragged himself back up, and continued his slow journey down the street.

* * *

Vincent sat up suddenly. He had fallen into a restless sleep and it felt as though his right shoulder was knotted up to the brink. The corners of his upper lip curled up in slight discomfort as he rotated the shoulder, trying to work loose some of the tension.

Vincent knew he should have it massaged out but with Tifa out – Vincent did a mental check to make sure he remembered to leave the front door unlocked just in case she had forgotten her key – Cid and Cloud were out, also and Vincent didn't really want to have Nanaki walking over his back. And Vincent didn't really want to run the risk of arousing the children by going to their room to ask Nanaki for a favor.

As though it wasn't bad enough that he had been tossing and turning for the last forty-five minutes trying to get in the right position to sleep. Something was wrong, Vincent could feel it. He had a feeling it affected none of the immediate house members. It was just a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

It had started when he got ready for bed. Everyone else was asleep as far as he could sense. Apparently Vincent was the only one who was feeling as though something terrible had happened. If it had been a monster attack in the city, people would be screaming to the heavens by now.

If it was Cloud, Tifa would be up in arms. It wasn't something as serious as that but still serious enough to make Vincent want to wait outside the front door. He had no reason to feel like that. Everyone he knew was more than capable of looking after themselves. Vincent wasn't about to play baby-sitter for anyone.

With his right shoulder still sending pulses of pain through his body, Vincent laid down once again. A small shiver ran over his body and he realized he had left the window open. That wasn't something he was known for doing. Though, a little ventilation never hurt anyone.

With a small grunt, Vincent sat up on the edge of the bed and stood. He tried to move his right arm as little as possible, not wanting to annoy the tensed muscles anymore. He closed the window, but kept the curtains open. He gazed out at the moon, tilting his head upwards a little.

Vincent left his spot before the window and went back to bed. He got under the covers once more and looked at the bedside chest. He wasn't really sure why, but he picked up the rod again. Once again, Vincent studied it. There wasn't much to look at yet at the same time, Vincent didn't want to miss one detail.

The rod seemed to be a major part of Reno's life and Vincent understood that completely. He knew what it was like to make possessions part of your life. Though, Vincent had a feeling that Reno wasn't as bad he was.

* * *

Reno collapsed on the stone doorstep, and looked up. It was the right door, he was sure. Hopefully the right house.

"_If it's not_," he thought, "_these people should get a different door_."

Reno reached up to grip the door handle, and hoisted himself back onto his feet. Reno had hoped that the door would be unlocked, but doubted it. He was surprised when it turned easily, and opened.

Reno spilled into the entry hall, managing to cling to the doorknob to prevent himself from crashing to the floor. He hung off it for a moment, which turned into roughly ten minutes. It took that long before Reno was confident enough to let go and slide to the floor. His confidence didn't signify much, though, because he had to lay there for another five minutes before the pain subsided enough for him to attempt to move. Reno didn't notice the small blur streaking into the house, as he pulled himself upright.

Reno leaned against the sideboard and moved forwards. He dragged his knuckles across the wood, hoping to get splinters.

"_Of course,"_ He thought, _"everything in this house is fucking varnished."_

When there was no more sideboard to lean on, Reno made his way down the hall with his left shoulder against the wall.

* * *

The tension in his shoulder forgotten at the sound of the front door being opened, Vincent threw the covers back and got to his feet. He dropped Reno's rod to the bed and slipped his hand under his pillow, bringing forth Cerberus.

With his weapon at the ready, Vincent listened. He knew that Nanaki was awake and with his senses, for him not to launch an attack, Vincent figured it was a member of the household. Maybe it was Tifa, possibly drunk, considering the door was still open. Vincent wondered briefly if Reno had caught up with Tifa and they had another one of their drinking games. It wasn't common knowledge, but Tifa could drink anyone under the table if she wanted to.

Vincent returned Cerberus to his resting place, under the pillow. He sat on the edge of his bed, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at the floor. His thoughts wandered and he questioned himself, again, as to why Tifa would have lied about working last night.

Vincent knew he didn't have to worry about Tifa but it still raised a lot of questions. Her behavior was not like her, yet at the same time, she was as secretive as Vincent. Yes, sometimes Tifa could be a bigger enigma than Vincent.

There were footsteps. They weren't the drunken stagger he was expecting. It sounded like a lopsided dragging gait, scraping the floorboards. It was too heavy to be Tifa.

Vincent realized the second that the door handle turned, that it couldn't be Tifa, she always knocked. In the split-second that it took for the door to open, Vincent had sprang across the room and flung Reno's EMR out, ready to fight.

The door exploded open, and a bedraggled figure leaned against the doorframe. Vincent saw a shock of bright red hair.

"YOU'VE got it!" Reno shouted, and slumped downwards against the frame.

Vincent dropped the weapon and caught Reno before he hit the floor. Reno shrieked; a piercing sound that could only come from some intense pain. Vincent was alarmed. He reached up with one hand, feeling for the light switch, and supporting Reno under his torso at the same time.

The light finally switched on and with his eyes adjusted; Vincent stared with horror at the state of Reno. So many questions flied through Vincent's mind, none of them appropriate to be voiced at this moment in time. Especially not with Reno's pupils being that dilated.

Vincent's eyes wandered down Reno's torso and the blood stains were enough to let Vincent know that at least one of the ribs had been broken at a strange angle – basically, the rib had been broken inwards and the jagged end had forced its way out of the fleshy prison. Vincent had to wonder how Reno was able to make it to the house in this kind of state.

The shirt the redhead wore was covered with blood and it scared Vincent to think that Reno had lost that amount and was still conscious. Reno had to be running on pure adrenaline to have survived this long. Or it could be sheer stubbornness. Reno's lack of consideration to following anyone's plans and refusing to die is probably a reason why he's still alive today.

Handling Reno with as much tenderness as possible, Vincent helped the beaten and babbling redhead over to his bed and sat him down. As much as he didn't want to, Vincent just ripped Reno's shirt open, not wanting to waste anymore time with undoing each button. His eyes widened and he shook his head. What could Reno have possibly done to get this kind of a flogging?

"What –?"

"They kicked the shit outta me and I didn't do anything, I only winked, and then they were in the alley and you've got my tazer, you prick, so they had heavy boots and is my head ok?"

The little sob at the end made Vincent study Reno for a moment and it was long enough to know that Reno couldn't get his eyes to focus on any one thing. As though that wasn't bad enough, the ending of the little rant brought up a new stockade of serious questions and all of them to do with Reno's head.

"Why did they do that? I wouldn't do that, ever. They're fucked. I'm fucked. Fix me, Vincent, I'm fucked."

Vincent held Reno's face in his hands and looked into his unfocused eyes. He really wanted to fix Reno, but there was only way that Vincent could do that and he wasn't about to do it without the other's permission.

Vincent lowered his hands to Reno's shoulders. "Reno, your life is in serious danger. You have, from what I can feel, at least three broken ribs and several that are badly fractured. In order to fix you, I need to use Cure 3."

Reno's eyes snapped straight upwards, and he fixed them straight on Vincent's eyes.

"No! No, you can't do that, do anything else, I don't care. Just don't use materia on me."

"Reno –"

"No, _please,_ don't, it's disgusting, Vincent please –" Reno broke off into a series of sobs that wracked his body.

Vincent noticed the way that Reno pulled back at the mention of materia. He could understand Reno's reaction but that left Vincent clueless on what to do. Reno needed some form of healing, even if only to cure the broken bones. Even in a life threatening situation, Reno refused.

Vincent moved forward slightly and wrapped his arms around Reno's trembling shoulders, holding him as tightly as he could without causing too much pain. He stroked Reno's tasseled hair as he whispered, "I promise I won't use Cure 3."

Reno visibly relaxed, and wrapped his own arms around Vincent in response. The movement proved to be too much for Reno; after a moment, he went limp.

With one hand on the back of Reno's head for support, Vincent moved back and looked Reno over. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing for Reno to be unconscious but at the same time, at least the redhead wouldn't be in excruciating agony.

Vincent removed Reno's shirt completely and laid the man down. He undid the button and flier on Reno's pants, pulling them off and discarding them somewhere along with the shirt. With Reno naked, it gave Vincent the opportunity to examine Reno's injuries.

Vincent slipped his fingers into Reno's hair and applied pressure all around to make sure nothing cracked or moved. His eyes scanned over the redhead's face and he noticed the broken nose and the possibility of damage to the cheek bones.

Vincent flinched slightly at the sight of the rib. The way the paleness of the bone was contrasted by the red and insipid coloration of the muscle and skin was a little uncomfortable to look at. Especially the way the skin curled and pulled back to reveal the meat beneath it.

All in all, Reno was, as he said, fucked. With his left clavicle fractured in three different places, a dislocated right shoulder, four broken ribs, the rest with hairline cracks all over them, a slightly misaligned left kneecap and the outside of Reno's body was a black and blue mess. Add on with the likelihood of a concussion and internal injuries, Reno was beyond fucked.

Vincent brushed Reno's fringe out of his closed eyes as the hand began to glow green. "I'm sorry, Reno. It has to be done."

Vincent released the magic of Cure into Reno's body. He stepped back and waited. He desperately wanted to use Cure 3 but he knew that Reno would yell at him just for using Cure, if the redhead had the energy in the morning.

Once the green glow around Reno's body faded, Vincent let out a sigh of relief. Reno could yell at him all he wanted, Vincent didn't care. Reno was healed and no longer in a critical state of mind or body.

Vincent really wanted to collapse but he knew the blood had to be cleaned off Reno's body. He turned to the door and stopped, staring at the little brown ball of fur that was grooming itself in the still open doorway of Vincent's room.

Vincent went over to it and picked it up. He took it back to the bed and placed it down gently. "Don't sit on him." Vincent blinked. Did he just warn a kitten? It wasn't important right now.

Vincent left his room, going into the kitchen. He retrieved a saucer and filled it with milk, along with two large bowls and two cloths. He went back up to his room and on the unoccupied nightstand; Vincent placed the saucer of milk on it and picked up the kitten, placing it on the stand as well.

Going across the hall to the bathroom, Vincent filled both bowls with warm water, adding liquid soap to both and returned to his room. He closed the door and set the bowls on the floor. Wetting one of the cloths, Vincent wrung it and started gently wiping down Reno's face.

When Reno's face was cleaned, Vincent glanced at the kitten, who was sitting on the edge of the nightstand, just watching. He wondered if it was the same kitten that he saw in the market place for a split second before he went back to cleaning Reno.

As Vincent cleaned away the blood, he realized that not all of Reno's body was covered in discoloration. There were a few undamaged parts and it looked a little odd to see those mixed in with the black and blue forming around them.

As Vincent cleared away the dried blood from the left side, he noticed a long, sleek scar from the top of Reno's shoulder down to the bottom of the ribcage, on a diagonal slant. Before he could stop himself, Vincent's fingers ran the length of the scar. He froze when Reno let out a soft, sort of whimper and Vincent looked up at his face. Reno had a slight frown, like he was getting ready to wake.

Vincent moved up Reno's body, as he had spread the redhead's legs and was between them. He stroked Reno's hair, trying to get him to go back into a deep sleep. When Reno didn't open his eyes, Vincent continued on his work, glancing up at Reno's face every now and again and realized just how cute Reno looked.

The cleaning and bandaging of the wounds ended without anymore interruptions and Vincent left Reno alone for a minute to empty out the bowls and leave them in the bathroom. He returned and noticed how Reno was laying on his bed.

Vincent very tenderly shifted Reno around so he was lying correctly and pulled the covers over the naked body of the ex-Turk. Vincent didn't want to take the chance of waking Reno by attempting to put pants on him.

With an exhausted sigh, Vincent sat at the foot of his bed and watched over Reno. He saw the kitten leave its post on the nightstand to curl up beside Reno's left shoulder. Vincent had to give a small smile at that. It was just adorable.

* * *

_Reno floated through a fog. He was in pain all over. A memory faded in through the haze. He was ten years old. He'd broken his wrist falling out of a tree, and he was laying in bed, hurting. His sister was there, though, stroking his hair, as she always did to calm him. The pain dulled somewhat, and Reno settled back to sleep._

~ * ~

End Chapter XIV.

OMG!!! Two updates in under twenty-four hours? Are we goddesses or what?

We are also humbly begging your forgiveness.

And Naoi, we like to welcome our newest slave...er...readers. We're really glad to have you on board!...Since most of our regulars decided to pull a Harlequin.

Now, a note from Plex:

I am once again so very sorry. Again, it was all my fault.

Reno: And now you know why I told you to keep her the holy hell AWAY FROM ME!

Plex: Reno, my love, turtledove...suck it up.

*Reno kicks Plex really hard in the face, and subsequently is sent a huge hospital bill.*

Anyway...something exciting happened...I hope...that's what we were aiming for. If it sucked, then just do a Reno and kick my face in.

Over and out.


	15. Now, Tomorrow, Always XV

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

~ * ~

Vincent didn't remember closing his eyes but knew he must have when he was woken by the bed shifting. He was alert, his eyes trained on Reno as the redhead groaned as he tried to move.

Vincent continued to observe Reno. The ex-Turk moved into the sitting position and Vincent knew immediately that Reno knew when the redhead started poking his own ribs.

Vincent wasn't sure what he was feeling. He knew he felt guilty about using the materia. He felt relieved he had used it. He felt worried that Reno would feel like Vincent had betrayed him. Instead, he decided to remain blank and see what Reno would do.

Reno's memory of last night was vague, but he knew for certain that at whatever point he had passed out, he had a severely busted up ribcage. He also knew that he shouldn't be able to sit up at the moment. It still hurt like hell, but he was capable of it. Reno knew broken bones didn't heal on their own overnight. Creepy, interfering bastards in capes did that for you. Using materia.

Reno snapped his head up and glared at Vincent.

"You wanker."

Vincent blinked.

"You _wanker!_"

Reno turned to the bedside table and seized the heavy object laying there. It was in fact, Vincent's claw, but Reno didn't care. He hurled it at Vincent and reached out for something else. The claw missed Vincent by an inch, but when Reno threw his headband at him, Vincent got it in the face. It was preferable to the heavy brass thing, but unpleasant nonetheless.

"I told you not to!"

Reno, by pure chance, managed to lay his hand on his tazer, which had been lying on the bedside table since the night before. Realizing what he was holding, Reno waved it threateningly at Vincent.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? I'll kill you!"

Reno flung his arm out and attempted to place a pyramid on Vincent. Unfortunately, Vincent anticipated the attack, and nimbly moved out of the way. He sprang forward and seized Reno's wrists, just as the sparkling cage appeared, preventing him from any further attacks. With nothing to hold, the pyramid faded away to nothing.

Vincent positioned himself nose-to-nose with Reno, not hiding his anger. "Did you want to die?" he demanded, not caring that he had outwardly shown his irritation. After his experience last night, Vincent really didn't feel that he deserved to wake up to this.

Reno opened his mouth to shout something else, but closed it after looking at Vincent's face. He was sincerely angry that Vincent had used materia on him, but he knew that there couldn't really have been any other option. Vincent wasn't the kind of person to sit by and let someone die. Aside from everything else, Vincent would have understood Reno's objection, and Reno knew by now that it must have cost Vincent a great deal to disrespect someone's wishes. He was like that. Rationality and logic was taking over.

Suddenly Reno felt ashamed. He had come to Vincent, and he had been taken care of by him. He only now really noticed where he was. Vincent's room, Vincent's bed. That meant a lot. A slight blush rose to Reno's cheeks, and he lowered his eyes.

"I came to you." He mumbled, slightly confusedly.

Vincent eyed Reno.

"Yes." He replied.

They remained still for a moment or two, before Vincent released Reno's wrists and attempted to move away. Before he was able to, Reno suddenly flung his arms out and wrapped them around Vincent, wanting to thank him, and maybe wanting to offer a little comfort, the best that he could. Perhaps Vincent needed it too, because he allowed it, and he even hugged back, making Reno feel forgiven. Either way, the anger was suddenly gone from the room.

Vincent relinquished his hold on Reno and leaned back, resuming his sitting position on the bed. Reno attempted to do the same, but winced sharply in pain. In his anger, Reno had forgotten that he was still quite seriously injured.

He managed to settle back on the pillows, and look at Vincent.

"So," he said, "what's wrong with me? What did I break?"

Vincent considered for a moment.

"The better question might be," he said slowly, "what didn't you break?"

Reno nodded and looked down at his chest.

"My throat hurts like a bitch. I could do with a drink…if that's ok."

Vincent also knew Reno needed some sustenance, but didn't think food would be good for Reno straight away, since his jaw had been damaged quite badly.

"That's fine."

Vincent got up and reached for his claw and headband, lying at the end of the bed. Reno watched as he put them on. He briefly considered putting on a shirt, but then discarded it. The children would have to be asleep still, Nanaki wasn't an issue in that sense, and Reno…well, he'd seen and touched Reno's naked body already, so he supposed he didn't have to worry about that.

_Oh, God. I did touch his naked body._ Vincent knew there was no reason to freak out about it. After all, he did what he had to do. Unfortunately, that meant that Reno was still in his birthday suit in his bed. Vincent wasn't sure if he would be able to handle seeing Reno naked while he was awake.

Still, the issue right now was finding something to get some energy into Reno. Vincent turned and walked out of the room, leaving Reno to stare at the ceiling.

Reno didn't even need to move to know which parts were the most screwed. His shoulder ached unpleasantly, his ribcage was stinging somewhat, and his knee felt like a ball of fire. The rest of his body just felt bruised and tender.

"I guess I'm here for a while." He said out loud.

A high-pitched whining sound caused Reno to jump slightly, and look around for the source of the sound. He found it almost immediately. There was a kitten sitting one the left bedside table, next to an empty bowl. Once Reno had turned his attention to it, the creature took that as an invitation and leapt onto the bed, rubbing against Reno's arm.

"Where the hell did you come from?" He asked, baffled as to why there was a kitten in Vincent's bedroom.

It was a little brown tabby, very bedraggled and skinny. Very satisfied with itself, too, given its loud purring and impertinent violation of Reno's personal space. The thing was wandering up to Reno's face, and putting its nose out to his.

Reno suddenly remembered the little blur from last night. He began to laugh. It hurt his whole body to do it, but he couldn't prevent himself.

He put up his hand and scratched the kitten behind its ear.

"So, how're you doing the morning after?" He asked it, through his laughter.

The ball of fur reached out with a paw and batted Reno's earlobe.

"Erm…yeah," Reno said, "Me too, I guess."

Vincent came back from his trip to the kitchen with a large glass of chocolate milk in one hand, and a fresh bowl of milk in the other. He knew the chocolate milk would do Reno some good; it would abate his hunger, and it had plenty of sugar. Vincent had also noticed earlier that their furry friend had finished off the saucer of milk last night.

Reno looked up from the kitten to Vincent.

"Did you meet him?" He asked.

Vincent set down the bowl and glass on the bedside table.

"I think you should look a little closer, Reno."

Reno looked confused for a second, before grabbing the kitten by the scruff and holding it up for inspection.

"Her, then." He said, setting the kitten back down beside him.

She bounded up onto the table, and proceeded to devour the milk greedily.

Vincent sat down on the edge of the bed next to Reno, and handed him the milk.

"I assume she followed you in last night."

"Cocky little bitch." Reno said, not without warmth, taking the glass carefully from Vincent, "Thanks."

Reno sipped slowly at his milk, glad of the soothing effect on his throat. He observed Vincent as he drank, noticing for the first time the state he was in. He was still shirtless; Reno wasn't unaware of the significance of that. Though in truth, he wasn't in a very good condition to be too affected by it. Reno was a little unsettled by the dried streaks and splotches of blood, though. He knew enough about Vincent to know that under any other circumstances, that kind of unhygienic state would be unacceptable.

"Do you maybe want to grab a shower?" Reno asked, "You look like you could use one."

Vincent didn't need to look down and observe himself to know that. He got up and headed for the door.

"Put the glass on the nightstand when you're finished."

Reno looked confused for a second.

"The table next to the bed," Vincent called from the hallway.

Reno looked down into his glass of chocolate milk.

"Why can't he use normal words?" Reno grumbled.

* * *

Vincent stepped into the warm, clean water with a feeling of relief. He hadn't really wanted to leave Reno, but he didn't really want to be plastered in dry blood for much longer, either. Aside from everything else, it might distress the children if they were to see it.

As Vincent washed himself for a second time, he took time to consider what should happen next. The second thing to do would be to tell Rude about Reno. Then it would be to bring Rude here and let the bigger man see that his friend was fine. Then it would be to find Tifa and get her to make some of her famous soup. Then telling Nanaki about everything and making sure the children kept it to a dull roar while Reno was resting.

Vincent closed his eyes and almost collapsed. His reserves were well and truly gone at this point. He turned the shower off and stepped out. He quickly dried himself and brushed his teeth. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went back to the bedroom.

Vincent found it unfortunate that Reno was still awake and playing with the kitten. The sight was warming, to see Reno tickling the kitten's stomach and muttering softly to the animal, like it was a child. Vincent went to his closet and took hold of pants and a shirt. He went back to the bathroom, dressed and returned his room. He saw that Reno needed to calm down; otherwise that kitten's claws might do a little more damage.

Vincent picked up his cape, put it on and continued the ritual with his headband and claw. He looked at Reno and wondered how the redhead could have so much energy, despite the state he was in. Vincent stopped Reno's hand and stroked the kitten in a soothing manner.

"Keep him company while I go talk to his friend," Vincent told the animal and left before he could hear any of Reno's objections.

Before leaving the house, Vincent stopped in at the children's room. He opened the door and saw Nanaki asleep between the two beds. Only Vincent knew that the leonine animal wasn't asleep. Nanaki opened one of his eyes and stared at Vincent. He yawned and stretched.

"I'm certain I can keep things here under control while you do what it is you need to do."

"Thank you," Vincent said and quietly closed the door.

Vincent made his way down the stairs and noticed Reno's trail. He would have to clean that up after he found Tifa. He hoped he would do that soon. Vincent didn't really want the children to see the dried fluid. Vincent closed the front door behind him and made his way over to the apartment where Rude was. He really hoped the bigger man was awake.

Vincent wandered the lighting streets and realized this was the second time since he'd known Reno that he'd been up at sunrise. While Vincent was an early riser, he was usually up an hour after the sun. Vincent came to know that he didn't like sunrises years ago. There was something about the sun eradicating the sins of the previous day with its light; unfortunately, it didn't do much for the memories.

Vincent stepped to the side as a group of children ran past him and he wondered why they were up so early. As far as he knew, school didn't start for another couple of hours. He watched as two mothers chased after the group, shouting about the trip not starting until nine. He inwardly smiled at the excitement the children had. It reminded him of Reno.

With Reno still in his mind, Vincent continued on his way. He kept his eyes forward as he thought about what could have happened last night. Vincent knew that Reno could anger anyone with just one word, Vincent had been around the ex-Turk long enough to be one of those people that had been angered with one word. Though, Vincent had never physically attacked Reno. It was obvious Reno had chosen the wrong people to play with last night. And when Vincent found out who they were, he would kill them slowly.

Vincent's eyes widened a fraction at that thought. Vincent actually smiled at the next thought. Reno needed protection. But not from others. No, Reno needed protection from himself. He needed that little voice in the back of his head that told him when to be quiet. It was a scary thought to think Denzel and Marlene were more mature than Reno in that sense.

But Vincent liked that about Reno. He liked the redhead's immaturity, the way he was quick to anger but also quick to forgive. The way his mind bounded from one subject to the next was exhausting. And despite being a person that articulates their thoughts with words, the small, silent actions Reno did were more appealing to Vincent. Like the hug that morning. Vincent wanted nothing more than express every emotion that was coursing through his mind, but knew he had to keep himself under control.

Vincent flashed back to the state Reno was in when he turned on the lights of his bedroom. It was horrible and it broke Vincent's heart to know he couldn't protect someone he was beginning to like. Beginning to? Vincent shook his head. He knew he liked Reno. The second day the redhead had come around and they discussed that painting.

Vincent stopped dead in his tracks as something wet ran down his face. He looked up at the sky and saw that there were few storm clouds, but it wasn't raining. He touched his cheek and looked at the clear liquid on his fingertips. Vincent knew it was a tear but he honestly couldn't remember the last time anything had left his eyes. Maybe that was the reason why Vincent didn't want to let Reno near him. He didn't want to let Reno see him as anything other than a monster.

Vincent wiped the tear away and entered the apartment building where Reno and Rude lived. He went up to their floor and knocked on the door. He could hear movement and the unmistakable sounds of cooking behind the thin door.

Seconds later, the door was opened and Vincent was greeted by a shirtless Rude. The bigger man had his sunglasses on, but Vincent could see his eyes. Vincent knew Rude knew something was wrong with Reno. Maybe it was the connection they had with each other and Vincent showing up in the early morning probably confirmed what Rude feared.

"Rude, who is it?"

Vincent looked around Rude and saw Tifa step out of the kitchen, holding a pan with scrambled egg in it and wearing one of Rude's shirts. Her hair was still messy from waking up. She looked really good like that, Vincent admitted. It was a very sexy look. It appeared that Tifa didn't think so as she ran back into the kitchen.

"He's with me. I'll head back now and let him know you're on your way." Vincent politely bowed his head and left his spot in the hall.

_That was why she lied about having to work last night?_ Vincent shook his head as the elevator doors closed. _What a cute couple they make._

* * *

Rude gazed at the front door for a few moments after Vincent had exited. He had wondered where Reno had been last night, and had been slightly worried when he hadn't returned. Sure, Reno stayed out a lot, but he usually told Rude when he was planning not to come home.

Rude removed his sunglasses; he put them on out of habit most mornings. He rubbed his eyes.

Reno had gotten himself into a mess, again. He must have gotten hurt, that was clear. Rude immediately quelled the anxiousness that sprang up in his heart. If Reno had been injured beyond healing, Vincent would have said so straight away.

Rude was brought back to earth by a hissing noise from behind him. Tifa was leaning around the kitchen door frame, hiding her lower half.

"Is he gone?" She whispered.

Rude nodded.

"Oh no…" Tifa walked towards Rude, holding her head in her hands. "Oh no, oh no…"

Rude reached out and took Tifa's hands, moving them away from her face.

"It's not important right now," he said, "Reno is hurt."

Tifa's eyes widened and Rude anticipated the questions before she began.

"I don't know," he hurried on, "I don't know what happened. I know he's with Vincent. I'm going to have to go over there now."

Tifa nodded, and released her hands from Rude's grip.

"All right," she said, "let me get dressed. And you might want your shirt back."

* * *

Reno was sprawled out on Vincent's bed, his body contorted in a very odd position. Vincent had come in some minutes before and informed him that Rude was on his way over.

Vincent had disappeared out of the room, and left Reno to his own devices. Reno didn't really want to look too helpless when Rude showed up, so he had decided to attempt to get out from under the covers and get dressed.

Getting out from under the covers alone proved to be too painful, and Reno had struggled, until he found himself tangled up in them. Hence his strange position.

Reno stared up at the ceiling. His head was hanging over the edge of the bed, so the world was upside-down. Well, he had the feeling that it had been for some time now. He was laying naked in Vincent's bed. Very upside-down.

Footsteps sounded at the door. Reno tried to twist his head around to see who it was, and failed.

"Reno?"

Reno slumped back into his former position.

"Aaargh…Rude, I'm upside-down."

Rude walked over to the bed. His face came into Reno's view.

"I can see that. Here –"

"No, I can do it!" Reno exclaimed Reno, angrily.

The redhead tried to pull himself upright once more. With a yelp, he slumped back down again. Against Reno's protests, Rude seized him and dragged him back onto the bed. It turned out that this caused quite a lot of pain for Reno, but Rude felt it was the quickest way.

"Thanks." Reno said grudgingly.

"Reno," Rude said, as he rearranged the disturbed bedding, "you do realize you're naked?"

Reno scowled.

"Oh no, thank you for telling me."

Rude leaned against the bedside table, surveying Reno.

"So," he said, finally, "what happened?"

Reno looked down at the bedspread, and began picking at invisible threads.

"I pissed some guys off at the pub."

Rude sighed. He should have known. He knew what Reno was like. His tongue got him into trouble more than anything else.

"How many of them?"

Reno frowned, trying to remember.

"Three, I think. Maybe."

Rude looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, Reno," He said, "all I can say is that you're losing it if you can't take on three drunks."

Reno looked at Rude sharply.

"I was drunk too, you twat."

Rude chuckled a little.

"And don't you think that if you hadn't been, you might not be stuck in bed right now?"

"Nope," Reno grinned, "I'd be really fucking bored."

"And Vincent?"

Reno laughed.

"I spiced up his night, didn't I?"

Rude stood upright and looked coldly at Reno. His disregard for other people could really be stupid at times. Rude knew he didn't mean it, but he was stressed, and anger came easily.

"When I came in," He said quietly, "Vincent was on his hands and knees in rubber gloves, scrubbing your blood off the floor."

Reno's eyes lit up.

"Rubber gloves?"

Rude nodded.

"I _have_ to see this!"

Before Rude could stop him, Reno had thrown back the covers and dragged himself sideways to the edge of the bed. Ignoring his nudity, and his pain, he managed to hobble to the door. Rude stared, confused.

Holding onto the door frame for support, Reno stepped out into the hall.

Luckily, Reno didn't have to move any further. Vincent had evidently decided to start cleaning from the front door, and had been working his way up to the bedroom. Just as Rude had said, Vincent was now on his hands and knees just on the landing, scrubbing away in what were undoubtedly pink rubber gloves.

It had taken a lot of work to clean up the mess from the night before, and Vincent was understandably put out to hear raucous laughter exploding behind him. Vincent stood and turned around to see Reno hanging onto the door frame, naked and laughing like a madman.

Needless to say, Vincent shot the redhead an extremely filthy look.

Reno's knees were going weak, as a result of his injuries and his laughter. He was losing his grip on the door frame and slowly sliding down it into a crouching position.

"Come on," he choked out amidst his laughter, "I know you're pissed, but baby, those gloves are driving me crazy!"

Vincent blinked as he took in Reno's appearance and the way the redhead held himself. Despite the fact that Rude was around as well, Vincent let a vague smile appear on his lips. Only Reno would be able to make something as serious as cleaning the floor into a comedy.

Vincent's smile broke into a grin as he pulled the bottom of the left glove down and let it snap back up. "Reno, you look a little red. I think it's time for an internal examination."

Reno would have killed himself with laughter here, but for the look on Vincent's face. Reno had never actually seen the man _smile_ before. Really smile. It stirred something strange in Reno, and he lost his grip on the door frame completely and fell back, sprawled out on the floor. The laughter returned and Reno giggled uncontrollably. It made his chest and ribs ache, and another thought occurred to him. This was what it had been like last night. And all Vincent had had to do in order to leave Reno lying on the floor, laughing maniacally, and hurting like crazy, was smile.

Reno's laughter died down slightly, and he muttered to the ceiling, "I've been floored."

Rude appeared in Reno's line of vision again, having been listening to the scene from behind the door.

"Well, do you want some help with that then?" He asked, sarcastically.

Reno giggled a little more, and nodded.

Vincent looked on as Rude hoisted Reno up and carried him back into the bedroom. Shaking his head slightly, he knelt back down and set to work scrubbing up the last few spots. To be honest, Vincent didn't understand how one person could bleed so much.

_An extremist in all things,_ he thought to himself.

When he was satisfied with the floor, Vincent got to his feet and lifted the bucket of water. An unsightly thing indeed at this point. It would have to be washed well, the state it was in. Before Vincent could make his way down the stairs, Rude stepped out of the bedroom, and closed the door behind him.

"He's asleep," He explained to Vincent, "it looks like that was too much excitement for him."

Vincent simply nodded. Rude moved closer to Vincent.

"Vincent," he said, removing his glasses, and looking Vincent in the eyes, "I want you to know how much I appreciate you taking care of him."

Vincent returned the gaze.

"You're welcome, Rude."

Rude sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"Some day soon, he really is going to get himself killed by his own tongue."

Vincent put the water bucket back on the floor.

"It's imminent," he remarked.

Rude slipped his glasses on and studied Vincent through the tinted glass. He knew that Vincent would be able to feel his eyes. Rude thought a few things over. In a way, Rude found himself to be a little like Vincent and he understood the raven haired man, to an extent.

Rude might not have been in the doorway with Reno, but from his position he was able to see everything Vincent did. He had noticed how Vincent's smile turned into a grin. It wasn't something Rude had expected. Reno seemed to have that affect on a lot of people, it would appear.

That little action got Rude thinking, though. There was just something in the way Vincent spoke to Reno. Something dawned in Rude and it was a little shocking to him that he hadn't realized it before. Reno hadn't complained about Vincent in the past few months. Even after the conversation that Rude had with his friend, he was expecting to hear a little more complaining.

Always quiet and calm, Rude was still at heart, a man of action. There was no room for messing around with him. A thought hit him, and he immediately acted.

"Vincent," he asked, making eye contact once more, "do you have feelings for Reno?"

Vincent wasn't visibly taken aback at this, but he was slightly thrown off-balance inside. He wasn't expecting a question like that to be flung at him, and his first impulse would normally be to warn the asker away from his personal business. On the other hand, this was someone who was very close to Reno, and had an obvious concern for his well being. Vincent didn't think he could simply tell him to mind his own business, nor did he think he could lie. So, after weighing it up, he decided to tell the truth.

"Naturally."

It was the truth, really. Vincent certainly felt something for Reno, and it could simply be platonic. In truth, Vincent doubted if anyone could not feel something for Reno. Unfortunately, Rude didn't let the man slip off the hook that easily.

"Vincent," Rude said firmly, "you are not a stupid man. Acting as if you are isn't doing you any favors. I want to know if you have romantic feelings for Reno. You might think it's none of my business, but Reno is my business. If you care about him as much as I do, you'll understand why I want to know."

Vincent raised his left eyebrow slightly. He couldn't remember the last time that someone had preached to him like that. Rude brought up a lot of points but Vincent couldn't give him a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer. It would have to be explained and Vincent didn't really want to explain himself to Rude.

"Hm. My answer is – I cannot answer that right this moment." Vincent took hold of the bucket handle again and straightened. "If you will excuse me, I fear this water will begin to evolve unless disposed of."

Rude peered at the water. "I think that would be a good idea." He raised his eyes to Vincent. "And," he began as Vincent moved towards the stairs, "nothing personal, but if you hurt him, I'll break every bone in your body."

Vincent paused momentarily at the threat and smiled. "You'd be doing me a favor," he called as he descended.

~ * ~

End Chapter XV.

Well, here we are, after another stupid delay.

Erm...

Note from Plex: This chapter was a lot of fun, from what I remember.

Reno: Not as fun as the one you had to write so you could post this one!

Plex: Don't make Vincent gag you again, Reno. Anyway, the standard grovelling for the lateness etc...we hope you enjoy this chapter!

Note from Aerys:

Ladies and gents, could we please give a warm welcome to three new followers - Kyuubi-ismy-homie, Kiti Renentine and ReneUzamaki16. We would love to thank you three for your support and we hope that we can continue to keep you happy with this chapter. It would break our fragile hearts if you weren't happy.

Also, I would like to dedicate this chapter to the memories of Pederz and Namantos, two of our loyal fans that have suddenly disappeared since chapter ten. We miss you guys and hope that you are happy wherever you may be.

Alexia, we send out our specialist of special love to you for your awesome reviews. We hope to hear from you again.

On that note, to everyone who has bothered to read this far, please review. It wouldn't kill ya.

Aerys and Plex out!


	16. Now, Tomorrow, Always XVI

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and Lunar Plexus.

* * *

Reno had been stuck in Vincent's bed for two days now, and he was getting so restless, that any normal person would have given him up in desperation by now.

Fortunately, Vincent wasn't what you would class as a "normal" person.

Reno had realized that he wielded a certain power by this point. He found that if he wanted something, Vincent would go and get it. This was the only thing that really kept him entertained. He was still far too sore to get up and move around, especially after the incident in the hall. Vincent told him that hysterical laughter had its repercussions. In this particular case, anyway.

Rude had shown up every day, helping Reno to shower and dress in his visits. Reno was completely shameless when it came to his body, but he would have felt odd about having Vincent's help in this area. It was already a bit bizarre to have Vincent sleeping on the floor next to him. On the bright side, Reno now knew that Vincent slept shirtless. The lights were never on when Vincent went to bed, but Reno could see enough to know that little bit about him.

Rude had tried his best to keep Reno entertained, but hadn't been as successful as he would have hoped. Ultimately, Reno was really looking for reasons to get angry, since anger occupied him more than anything else.

So far, he had spilt coffee on himself, called Nanaki a "mongrel", told Denzel he looked like Marlene, and accused Vincent of trying to touch him in his sleep.

The coffee was easily cleaned, Nanaki had been restrained by Vincent, Denzel shouted back, and Vincent simply didn't care what Reno accused him of. He had, in fact, been checking Reno's breathing, but Reno was just determined to find trouble.

Trouble, or at least something interesting, did happen on the third day, but not to Reno.

Vincent had been in the kitchen, preparing Reno's eighth coffee of the day, when Tifa had walked in. She stopped, took one look at Vincent, smiled awkwardly and walked out again. Vincent decided Reno's coffee could wait and followed her into the living room.

Tifa was hurriedly packing a small bag with what appeared to be clothing, when Vincent walked in.

"Would you like a coffee, Tifa?" Vincent enquired.

Tifa looked over her shoulder at Vincent, flashing a strained smile.

"Oh, what?" She said, in an unnaturally high voice, "No, no thanks, Vincent. I'm actually – you know – just sort of going –"

Vincent decided to be the angel of mercy and put her out of her misery.

"I see."

Tifa straightened herself, and spun around, eyes blazing.

"I know, I _know_, it's hilarious isn't it? Everybody have a laugh, Tifa's got a _boyfriend_! Oh, Tifa has _girly _parts! Ooh, Tifa wears a _bra_! Well, you know, you can just mind your own business, Vincent Valentine, because it's not as if I'm the only one! I haven't got a man holed up in my bedroom, you know!"

What Vincent said at that moment was a shock to himself then and ever after.

"At least I'm not holed up in a man's bedroom, Tifa."

Tifa's jaw dropped.

Suddenly, she began to laugh.

Vincent smiled, understanding now, why she had been so awkward and why she had been avoiding him.

Tifa collapsed into the sofa, shoving her bag to the floor.

"I have been _stressing _myself to the limit these last couple of weeks."

Vincent crossed the room and sat down next to Tifa.

"Why?"

Tifa shook her head a little.

"I don't know. For one thing, I really didn't want Cloud to know anything about this. I doubt he'd have anything good to say. Although," Tifa grinned again, "It just occurred to me that he wouldn't have _anything _to say about it. And I was really expecting you to tease me to death about it."

"When have I ev –" Vincent interjected.

"I know, I know," Tifa continued, "but I panicked. Although, now that you've done it I don't care anymore."

"You've made your contribution," Vincent remarked, "I particularly appreciated the comment about the 'man holed up in my bedroom'."

Tifa threw her head back and laughed again.

"I'm sorry, Vincent. It's really not my business. Anyway, he's feeling better, so I guess he'll be able to move around the house a bit more soon."

Vincent observed Tifa.

"How do you know that? I wasn't aware you'd seen Reno at all. At this point, I'm virtually always with him."

Tifa smiled slyly.

"Not when you're in the shower, you aren't."

"Thankfully."

Tifa's sly look grew somewhat more cunning.

"But you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Vincent looked Tifa in the eye.

"Tifa, I thought you'd grown up in the last five minutes."

Tifa stuck her tongue out. It occurred to Vincent that she had been spending a lot of time around Reno as well.

"Oh come on, Vincent. You want it so bad you can taste it!"

The vague glimmerings of impulsiveness that Vincent did possess flared up again. Something that frightened Vincent a little. Though, thanks to spending a considerable amount of time around Reno, Vincent found himself becoming a little more impulsive each time he left the redhead's presence.

"I believe you've had more experience with the 'tasting' than I."

Tifa flashed Vincent a warning glance, but didn't pursue it.

"I notice you don't deny it."

"Believe what you will."

Tifa smiled once more.

"I just find it interesting, that's all."

Some heavy thumping noises sounded above them. He couldn't be sure, but Vincent had a feeling that Reno had found a way to convey his anger at being made to wait for his coffee.

"Excuse me." Vincent said, as he left the room.

* * *

When Vincent entered his bedroom, he had his suspicion confirmed. Reno was hanging over the side of the bed, holding his tazer, poised to strike the floor with it.

"Finally here, are you?" He scowled, dropping the mag-rod to the floor, and dragging hiss upper body back onto the bed. "Where's my coffee."

"I felt that perhaps so much caffeine might not be good for you at this point." Vincent replied, walking over to the bed.

Reno groaned.

"Can I at least have an orange juice?"

"Yes."

"Can I have a naked man?"

Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Reno."

Reno grinned.

"It would be if you'd take off your clothes."

Vincent's other eyebrow went up.

"In your current position, I don't think you'd be able to do much about it, no matter who took their clothes off."

Reno opened his mouth to object, but thought better of it and slumped back onto the pillows.

"Vincent, I'm so fucking bored. I'm seriously going to rip my fingernails off and make a fucking model of the Seventh Heaven. I'm _dying _here."

Vincent stared at Reno. "Die quietly, please."

"I'll die as loudly as I want! La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!"

Vincent inwardly groaned at Reno's childishness. Without saying a word to the wounded man, Vincent left his room. He entered the children's room and tried to find something that would make Reno quiet, even if for only for five minutes.

As he looked around, Vincent reflected on how the house was filled with children, despite the inhabitants under the age of twelve being absent from the house. He wondered what it took to make a person act that way and realized what it was. Vincent had been acting a lot out of character lately.

Rude had mentioned earlier that he'd found some work, and would be going out into Edge for the next couple of weeks. That meant he wouldn't be around to give Vincent a break from Reno's boredom. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

Vincent found something that should make Reno happy. He picked up what he needed, went to the bathroom, filled the glass that was in there with water and took it to the bedroom. He placed it on the nightstand and handed Reno a series of paints and a white board.

"Let me explain something to you, Reno. While the paints say 'non-toxic', it is not an invitation to eat them."

Reno looked at the paints that Vincent had dumped on his lap. "What the hell is this shit?" he demanded.

Sometimes, Vincent asked himself how Rude was able to be so patient with Reno when he got into a mood like this. It seemed impossible to handle.

"They're paints, Reno. Use your imagination and do something constructive." Vincent turned on his heel and exited his room, again.

Vincent went to the kitchen and got Reno that glass of orange juice he wanted and took it to him. Somehow, Vincent was not surprised to see Reno still staring at the paints, while holding the paintbrush. The redhead looked extremely confused on what he was meant to do.

Vincent put the glass of orange juice on the nightstand but away from the water so Reno wouldn't clean the brush in his drink. He stood beside the bed for a moment and studied Reno. When it appeared that Reno wasn't going to do anything, Vincent decided he might as well explain it.

"Think of something that you want to paint. Open the paints and use the brush and apply the image in your head to the board."

Reno glared up at Vincent. "I'm not that stupid, Vincent! I know how to paint. I just don't know what to paint."

Vincent smiled. His temper had died off and he no longer wanted to kill Reno, which could be classed as a good thing. But something Tifa said made Vincent feel a little uneasy.

While Vincent had been checking Reno's torso to make sure everything was healing without fault, he wanted to know if the ex-Turk's facial wounds were doing all right. Vincent often forgot about them as they weren't nearly as bad as the body ones had been.

Vincent bent slightly at the waist and took Reno's chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning the redhead's face towards his own. He glanced over Reno's face and saw the bruises were healing quickly. They weren't as dark a purple as they had been a couple of days ago.

Reno stopped breathing for a moment, taken by surprise. It was too strange to be this close to Vincent's face, and far too unnatural not to be doing something about it. The moment soon ended, though. Feeling content with his observation of the bruises, Vincent let go of Reno's chin and straightened.

"I'm sure you'll think of something. After all, you have a rather – explicit imagination." Vincent glanced at the kitten, which had made herself at home sleeping on Vincent's bed and shook his head.

Reno saw Vincent look at the kitten and grinned. "I've named her, by the way."

Vincent wasn't sure if he wanted to know what kind of name Reno came up with for the defenseless animal. "Really?"

"Yep! I named her after you."

Vincent thought it over. He wasn't sure if 'Vincent' was a good name for a girl. Reno might have named her 'Valentine', though. There were only a couple of options from Reno to chose from, so why was Vincent so worried about the look Reno had on his face.

"You named her?" Vincent repeated.

"Yes, Vincent, I named her and I named her after you. Did you want to know what I called her?"

Vincent blinked a couple of times and still wasn't sure if he wanted to know. His curiosity got the best of him, however and nodded at Reno. This would be quite interesting. Reno didn't know what he wanted to paint and yet he had managed to come up with a name for the kitten.

"I called her 'Cupcake'. Like it?"

"If it makes you happy, muffin."

Once again, Reno opened his mouth to protest and again stopped to burst out laughing. When he calmed down a little, he looked at Vincent with a grin that would put the Cheshire cat to shame.

"I'm quite contented…crumpet."

"You know I only exist to make you happy, strudel."

"And you know how grateful I am for that, my little scone."

"And I require nothing more, my éclair."

Reno wracked his brain for the name of another baked confection.

"Happy to oblige, Mister Toasted Tea-Cake."

"Thank you, Admiral Buttercup."

Reno stopped and stared at Vincent.

"So I guess you know how to bake, huh?

"As a matter of fact, I do." Vincent replied.

"In that case, what the fuck is a 'buttercup', and can you make one?"

"It's a cake, Reno and yes, I know how to bake one. Will I do it? No. Will I ask Tifa to do it? Yes."

"Good stuff." Reno smiled. "But I think we should stick to 'Cupcake'."

Reno looked back down at the paints. After a moment's consideration, he began to unscrew the lids on them and examine their hues.

"I like it better," He muttered, "You know, you having a sense of humor. You had to have one, everybody does, but yours just seemed a bit…retarded."

Vincent watched at Reno began arranging the paints carefully on the bedside table, lids off.

"At least it was only my sense of humor that was retarded."

Reno chuckled to himself, and began dipping his brush into the pot of red paint.

"You trying to tell me something, there?"

"Take it as you like, Reno."

Reno began to apply the red paint to the board in long strokes. He soon became quite absorbed, and Vincent wondered if Tifa had left yet, and if she might join him for a cup of tea. In the end, he left Reno to his painting, and trekked downstairs in the hope that the lady of the house was still in.

Reno wasn't really paying much attention to what he was doing. He was thinking about other things. The situation in general was a weird one. Here he was, in Vincent's room, in his bed, with a busted up body. It was frustrating too, since he couldn't really do anything other than lay there for now.

Rude cheered him up a little when he came in the mornings. It was good to at least be able to shower. He could hobble to the bathroom with Vincent for support, and handle getting on with it alone once he was in there, but a shower took way more out of him. The floor was slippery, and the bending and twisting was dangerous at this point. Reno hadn't had any qualms about Rude helping him there, since he'd done it on a few other occasions when Reno had been particularly drunk.

Reno stopped painting for a moment, and his eyes widened a little. Rude had said that he'd found work. That was all good, but it meant he'd be away for a couple of weeks. This in itself wouldn't be a problem, but something had occurred to Reno.

Without Rude to help him, he was going to have to rely on Vincent. Vincent was going to have to help him in the shower, and get him dressed. Reno knew that this shouldn't bother him, since he was well aware that Vincent had been the one who stripped him down the first night he showed up. Reno hadn't been conscious for that part, though.

Reno resumed painting. While he wasn't looking forward to tomorrow's shower, it might turn out to be interesting.

* * *

End Chapter XVI.

From Plex: *runs and hides, fearful of the wrath of impatient readers*

Reno: Hope it's worth it, suckers!

Plex: *whispers from behind a rcok* Aerys, stop him.

Aerys: *throws a cookie off into the distance and watches as Reno runs after it like a rabid dog*  
I know it's been a long time since we updated and we're trying! We're really trying so hard to update but complications arise with a story of this size (and also with characters like Vincent *shakes a fist at Vincent). So, please, don't hurt us! If you hurt us, we won't do anymore work! So, please enjoy this chapter and once I receive the COMPLETED chapter 18, chapter 17 will be up! And I promise it won't take as long as this did one did!  
Oh and that's right! Next chapter is sexy shower scene! So not hurting us if you wanna see that~! ;P


	17. Now, Tomorrow, Always XVII

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie Lunar Plexus.

* * *

Vincent frowned as he opened his eyes. He stared up at his ceiling for a few long moments before he threw the covers back and got to his feet. He looked at his bed and realized how much he missed sleeping in it. Though, the content look on Reno's face made him remember why he gave it up.

Vincent got to his feet and brushed a few strands of hair off Reno's face and softened his eyes. Vincent picked up on what he was doing and figured it was best to stop it before he took it further than either would have liked. And Vincent had more important things to think about, like showering with Reno. Vincent left his room and went downstairs to complete his morning ritual.

It was unusual to be alone in the kitchen at that hour of the morning. Vincent didn't have a problem with it as he put the kettle on. While waiting for it boil, he retrieved the newspaper and brought it inside, placing it on the counter. The kettle whistled, Vincent turned it off and poured the water into a cup, with the teabag and added a little milk.

Vincent let the tea brew a little as he glanced over the weather forecast. That day they were to expect heavy showers with the chance of hail and a possible thunderstorm. Vincent blinked and it made him wonder if he was reading the forecast and not the horoscopes. Vincent didn't let on to Reno that he had a sinking feeling about this shower and dressing scene. It seemed apparent that Reno wasn't too thrilled about the idea, either.

Vincent pushed the newspaper away, not wanting to know the outcome of the morning. He took a sip of his tea and glanced at the clock on the opposite counter. Reno would wake in roughly half an hour, if he remained true to a three-day custom. Vincent decided that at ten to eight, he would make Reno his coffee and take it up to him. The sooner they got it over with, possibly the happier they would be.

Vincent drank his tea slowly to help make time go faster. It seemed to work as it was time to put the kettle on once he finished his beverage.

Vincent made Reno's coffee, rinsed his own cup out and took Reno's insane beverage up to him. As he wandered, Vincent's mind flashed to the events that would occur rather soon. A little too soon, in Vincent's opinion. There was nothing that could be done about it and he knew it. He just hoped that Reno wouldn't make the situation worse.

Vincent quietly opened his door and entered the room. He saw that Reno still wasn't awake. He stalked up to the bed and ran the mug under Reno's nose, knowing the scent would wake the dead in Ajit. Even Cupcake covered her sensitive nose with her paws.

Reno groaned like a man who was dying. Vincent wasn't alarmed by the noise; he had grown accustomed to the unearthly sound. Vincent pulled the mug away as Reno rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face into the pillows and mumbling an order of what to do with the coffee.

Another thing that Vincent had gotten used to. He placed the cup on the floor, within easy reach of Reno's arm that was hanging over the side of the bed and stepped back. It struck Vincent as odd when Reno didn't enthusiastically grab the mug and down the content in half a minute.

Vincent kept his curiosity under control as he left the room again and went back into the kitchen. He got a saucer of milk for Cupcake and returned to the room, placing the saucer on the unoccupied bedside chest for the kitten. It was amazing what difference a little milk did for her. She was not longer the scrawny, pitiful looking animal she was when she first made her appearance.

Vincent watched Reno for a minute or two. That was how long it took before he got bored and wanted to get the shower over and done with. He took a step closer and made sure he missed Reno's coffee. The last thing either of them needed was to break out into fisticuffs over a spilt cup of coffee.

Vincent lightly shook Reno's shoulder. The redhead groaned and rolled over, which irritated Vincent a little. Instead, Vincent poked Reno's shoulder and all that was received from the redhead was a mumbled 'piss off'. Vincent cocked an eyebrow, his head tilted to the side as he studied Reno's back.

"Reno, it's time to get up."

"No."

"Yes."

"I don't want to."

Vincent felt that Reno regretted those words and Vincent didn't blame him. Usually something bad came after that sentence. Vincent wasn't going to do anything harmful. He just wanted Reno up, washed, dressed and hopefully walking soon. Vincent was finding it a little tiring having to race cups of coffee up fifty steps three times an hour.

"Reno, please get up."

"Fuck off."

Vincent could only see Reno as a disobedient child. He didn't want to resort to using what he had previously thought of but if Reno was going to make this anymore difficult, Vincent couldn't be held liable. And Vincent was sure it wouldn't cause any damage, to either of them. Maybe a little wounded pride.

Vincent sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over Reno's body. He gently took Reno's chin in his fingers and stared intently into the ex-Turk's eyes.

"Reno, you have to get up." Vincent did some quick thinking and decided he could have fun torturing Reno. Vincent lightly caressed Reno's skin with his thumb. "Please?"

Reno stared. It was all anyone would have been able to do. Vincent appeared to be flirting and almost _begging_. That was something Reno would not expect to be in Vincent's characteristics. Then again, having a sense of humor wasn't in there, either.

"I – I – I – I…"

"The I's have it. Get up." Vincent let go of Reno and stood.

Reno dragged himself up, without flinching, surprisingly enough. He threw back the covers and swung his legs around. Since that first night, Reno had taken care to at least wear underwear to bed. He stood, and put his hand on his hip, tilting his head at Vincent and looking him dead in the eye.

"See?" He said, sweetly, "you give me what I want, and you get what you want."

With that, he turned and strutted to the door with an almost obnoxious grace.

"Win-win, baby!" Reno said, before losing his balance and colliding with the door frame.

Vincent didn't rush to Reno's side immediately. He decided it would be best if Reno learnt something from that little stunt. At least it was a little better than what Vincent had originally planned to do, which was to rip the covers off Reno's body and drag him into the bathroom. Reno really should thank Cupcake for sleeping on the bed.

Vincent slowly walked over to Reno and casually looked his body over. Seeing as there was nothing outwardly wrong with Reno – the inside was still something that had to be examined – Vincent held a hand out to the redhead.

Reno took Vincent's hand and Vincent gently pulled Reno to his feet. He wrapped an arm around Reno's bare waist and helped him into the bathroom. Vincent tried to keep his mind clear as he got the shower going. For some reason, Vincent felt subconscious about getting nude in front of Reno.

Vincent's eyes widened a fraction as something occurred to him, making his heart pound in his chest and his cheeks heat. It was something that Vincent would never have thought of under any other circumstance but Vincent hadn't been able to shake it since last night. Bizarre scenarios popped up in his mind, all of them unlikely.

"Okay, before we pass judgment on each other, keep in mind that it _is_ a cold morning," Reno said as he slipped out of his underwear, with a little difficulty.

The funny feeling inside of Vincent died off as he remembered who he would be showering with. Trying to stay out of Reno's view, Vincent undressed hurriedly. It was best to get it over with.

Reno was leaning against the shower door, looking into the cubicle. It occurred to Vincent that perhaps Reno was a little self-conscious himself. Or that he didn't want to look at Vincent, something that Vincent could happily live with.

Without looking round, Reno raised a hand and beckoned to Vincent over his shoulder.

"You're here for a reason," he grumbled, "I can't do this on my own!"

Vincent followed Reno's cue, and approached him. He placed his hands on Reno's shoulders, just to steady him as he stepped into the shower. Vincent took care to keep a firm hold on the redhead, lest he should slip.

Reno welcomed the support. He wasn't sure he could keep his footing on wet tile. Vincent had stepped in behind him, and closed the frosted-glass door. Reno spoke apologetically, again without turning around.

"I need to lean on you."

Vincent obviously didn't object, because he moved slightly closer, though keeping his lower body away from Reno's.

The hot water was soothing to Reno. Aside from the morning coldness, his body was still very sore and stiff. He was able to scrub himself down, so long as he leaned on Vincent and didn't move too quickly, for obvious reasons.

Vincent tried to keep his mind occupied as Reno did what he did but somehow, Vincent's mind always wandered back to Reno's body. Vincent didn't dare to lower his eyes any further than Reno's tailbone and slowly move them up Reno's back, making little notes about certain things.

Vincent's eyes didn't miss anything that Reno had on his back, from the dimples to a few scars, even to the way that Reno's shoulder-blades moved beneath his skin as the redhead washed himself. Vincent came to the conclusion that Reno had a very beautiful back. Vincent would admit, it wasn't as attractive as Reno's personality or his eyes. Even Reno's mouth had a beautiful shape.

Vincent's hands tightened their grip on Reno's shoulders as he realized just where his mind was wandering. He felt a little ashamed when a certain part of his anatomy reacted to his dirty thoughts and at the same time, it was natural to be standing behind Reno with an erection. He quickly relaxed his hold, not wanting Reno to think anything about it. Vincent just knew he had to get his mind off of Reno, naked, in front of him, in all his beauty.

"There was mail for you this morning," Vincent said

"Hm?" Reno grunted, disinterestedly.

"A letter from someone called Neya –"

"Ok."

Reno cut Vincent off in a tone of voice that piqued Vincent's curiosity. Reno had obviously been expecting a letter, or he would have immediately asked questions, but he didn't seem pleased about it. It struck Vincent as odd, but he didn't pursue it. It wasn't any of his affair. Reno opened up the subject himself.

"She lives in Kalm."

Vincent didn't respond, he simply reached for the shampoo. If Reno wanted to share these things, that was fine.

"She writes me sometimes," Reno continued, "every month, actually."

Vincent poured some of the rose-scented liquid onto his hands, and began to massage it into Reno's hair. Reno didn't seem to notice.

"I haven't seen her in a long time. Neya doesn't really know much about what goes on with me."

As Vincent lathered up Reno's hair, he wondered about this 'Neya'. He had never known Reno to speak of any woman other than Tifa, or sometimes Elena. Vincent didn't think Reno actually knew any other than them. To find that there was a woman he knew who wrote monthly letters was a little surprising. Vincent was curious about what she could mean to Reno. He'd obviously known her for a long time, if they hadn't seen each other for that long. Reno was looking down at his feet.

"I know I should go and see her, she's always saying in her letters that I should." Reno lifted a hand, and watched as the hot water pooled in it.

"I miss her."

Vincent suddenly found himself being rather rough with Reno's hair. Fortunately, Reno wasn't bothered.

"I just…" Reno paused, "I don't know what would happen if we see each other again."

Vincent yanked Reno's hair, not quite by accident. Metaphors flashed in Vincent's mind of Reno making love to something with a dramatically curved waist and gravity-defying breasts. Anger, hatred and jealousy ran through his veins, all ingredients of Chaos. Some primal urge that Vincent had never felt was about to break loose. Vincent just knew that Chaos wanted to remind Reno of who owned him and Vincent couldn't say that he didn't disagree.

Vincent suddenly seized Reno's shoulders again, and with a rough shove, moved his head under the water. Reno spluttered and coughed.

"Wha–!" Reno yelped, "What's wrong with you? Are you trying to drown me?"

"No," Vincent said, washing the last of the shampoo out of Reno's hair, "I'm rinsing you."

"Well, please _god,_" Reno said, moving out of the water, "don't repeat."

Reno leaned heavily against Vincent, aligning their shoulders. He sighed.

Vincent tried to behave casually.

"Have you and this woman ever thought of marriage?"

Reno turned his head slowly, revealing a look of pure disgust. He looked at Vincent.

"She's my sister."

Vincent stared for a moment.

"I don't know how things work on your planet, Vincent, but I'm really not into that."

Vincent laughed. It was primarily relief, and amusement at his own thoughts and actions. He wrapped his arms around Reno's shoulders.

"You don't know how lucky you are."

Reno smiled.

"Why?" he asked, "Because I have a sister?"

Vincent stopped laughing. "That as well."

Reno turned back away from Vincent, and folded his arms.

"Our parents died when we were really young," he explained, "and we were kind of left on our own. Neya was a bit older than me, so she could work. Cleaning and stuff. It wasn't great, the money. You know."

Vincent knew all too well. Young girls with no family were all too likely to end up working for next to nothing. The people who could afford to pay someone to clean their homes for them, were the very people who would take advantage of a desperate person. If you took a stroll to the market on a Sunday, you'd see the evidence. Lined up in shabby clothes, carrying baskets with barely anything in them. One week of cleaning houses would earn you maybe enough for a loaf of bread and a cabbage.

Reno was still talking.

"She had to work a lot to take care of us, and she was always tired. She didn't complain, though. When I got a bit older, I really wanted to kill the assholes that made her work like that. But I couldn't, so I tried to help a bit. I… got stuff. You know what I mean?"

Vincent knew.

"I used to wander round and take things and bring them home for her. She wasn't stupid, Neya. She knew I was stealing them, but she never said anything about it. And I wasn't taking stupid things. Just stuff we needed. Anyway, I ended up falling in with some other kids. They weren't bad, mostly, just the same as us, really. They were roughing around, trying to eat and live. Neya let them stay with us most of the time. Some of them, though, they were nasty."

Vincent tightened his arms around Reno's shoulders and reflected. He could imagine Reno falling in with bad company as a child. And as an adult. Look where he ended up.

Reno fiddled with a strand of his wet hair.

"When we were a bit bigger, they didn't just steal shit anymore. They liked hurting people. They'd beat someone up for their wallet, when they could have just picked it without them noticing. I don't know how much Neya knew about that. She would've guessed a bit. But you know," Reno dropped his hair and raised his head, "that's kind of the way things are between us. She makes it seem like she doesn't know anything, and I don't tell her anything. It's easy when you're a kid, like she's humoring you or something. Then it goes from hanging out with little bastards, to hanging out with big bastards. But when you're grown up it's harder. You have to account for the stupid shit that you get up to, you can't just phase it anymore."

Reno turned his head and looked at Vincent.

"I'm thirty-four, you know."

Vincent didn't say anything, he just nodded. Reno continued.

"At thirty, you get kind of tired of being two things at once."

With this, Reno sighed again, and Vincent got the feeling that the story was over.

Vincent understood. He knew how Reno must feel, and he sympathized completely. He suddenly felt very close to Reno. A far cry from the terrible possessiveness he'd been feeling earlier. In a way, it sort of explained a lot about Reno.

Vincent's arms slid down Reno's body, to wrap one around the redhead's waist and the other across his chest. He pulled Reno's body against his own, holding him tightly. As an added consolidation, Vincent rested his lips on Reno's shoulders, with his eyes lowered.

Vincent felt something he hadn't felt since he was with Lucrecia; he felt special. He felt that Reno trusted him enough to reveal something so personal about himself with Vincent. For some reason, the saying 'misery loves company' popped into Vincent's mind and he wondered if that was the reason why Reno approached him that night, so long ago.

Vincent closed his eyes when Reno turned his head slightly, so their cheeks touched. There was more to Reno than Vincent ever gave him credit for. Despite being screwed by the world, Reno had this certain tenderness about him, which he didn't lock away like Vincent had done. For a moment, there was nothing beyond the feel of Reno's smooth cheek on his own.

Without wanting it to, reality settled in on Vincent and he reluctantly released Reno for a few moments, just long enough to wash his own body and turned the water off.

Reno didn't feel anything dramatic over what had just happened. It had been totally comfortable, and natural. He was completely calm. There was nothing strained or awkward about it, and Vincent didn't seem to be feeling that way. Something had really clicked.

Reno leaned on Vincent's arm for support as he wrapped a towel around himself. Vincent led Reno back to the bedroom, taking care to move slowly. There was an added tenderness here, that wasn't there before.

The same applied as Vincent helped Reno dress. He was patient, and attentive, and Reno didn't complain about a single thing. Reno spoke as Vincent helped him into his shirt.

"Neya did get married in the end. She's got some kids now, too. Twin girls."

Vincent smiled a little.

"She's still in Kalm. Sometimes I think I should visit her, but then…I mostly just go to the pub."

Vincent paused, leaving the last six buttons undone as he looked into Reno's eyes. "I think you should go and see her. It would be good for you and her."

Vincent finished doing the shirt up and fixed Reno's collar. Vincent laid his hands on Reno's shoulders. He felt the need to kiss the redhead and the possessiveness he thought had disappeared spiked up again, something that Vincent didn't pay much attention to.

Reno bit his lip.

"I know," he said, "but I don't really want to talk to her."

Vincent looked slightly shocked.

"No, I don't mean that," Reno hurried on, "I want to talk to her, obviously. I just don't want to get into the other shit. I mean, how would that be? 'Hey, Sis, guess what? I totally kissed Shinra's ass, and I dropped that plate, boo-yah!'"

Reno let out another one of those sighs.

"By the way," he said, eyeing Vincent, "you're only wearing a towel."

Perhaps because of the strange intimacy he had shared with Reno today, Vincent found himself responding to Reno's quip in kind. It was happening increasingly often.

"Well, you did want a naked man."

Reno didn't laugh, he only looked carefully at Vincent's face. A small smile slowly curved on his lips. With a voluptuous ease, he slid his hands down the length of Vincent's bare sides, until they reached the top of the towel. Reno only hesitated slightly before hooking his fingertips over the top of it.

He looked up at Vincent's face. It appeared totally blank, though his eyes bored into Reno's. There was something strange about them. Primarily there was a glint of fear and nervousness, which Reno would have expected, but there was something else there. Reno realized it was that same twinkle that he'd seen before. It had a habit of appearing whenever he tried to push Vincent's buttons. It appeared as a subtle challenge. No matter how irritated Vincent was, he usually allowed Reno to fight him, when he knew very well that he was capable of quenching him whenever he chose.

In short, Vincent's eyes were daring Reno to go on.

Reno smiled that slow smile again, and placed his hands on the slight curve of Vincent's hips. He pulled the dark-haired man close.

Vincent's hands had remained around Reno's neck, adjusting his collar. They remained there as Reno pulled him close, and for a heart-stopping second, Vincent thought Reno was going to kiss him. Almost too quietly to hear, his breath hitched.

Reno didn't go that far, though. He simply pressed his cheek to Vincent's again, though he thought he may have heard a disappointed sigh. Filled with confidence now, Reno turned his head and ran the tip of his nose up the line of Vincent's cheekbone, and nuzzled his ear. He was surprised to hear Vincent speak.

"Why do you touch me like that?" It was a murmur.

Reno suddenly didn't find anything funny about the situation. He was dead serious. Moving his hands around to the small of Vincent's back, and pressing him even closer, he rested his lips on the edge of Vincent's ear.

"I don't know," He said, frowning a little into Vincent's hair, "I just really want to."

Being here, half dressed, Vincent in a towel, the two of them pressed together…it made something break in Reno.

"I always want to touch you." He said, his fingers pressing into Vincent's back.

Vincent's shoulders squared slightly as his back went rigid. He was regretting challenging Reno to take it further and he was learning something he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know right at that moment in time. Vincent wasn't definite about why Reno telling him this was any different to Reno explaining about his sister.

Vincent figured he would let Reno continue for a little longer before he ran away. Vincent didn't see that as conceding to Reno but more of backing down for the moment to get facts right before he tried to take on the redhead again.

Reno was still holding onto Vincent, almost fiercely now. His hands were moving all over Vincent's back, and his face was still buried in the dark hair. Reno felt his way along the scars that covered Vincent's back.

"I always want to know what you feel like." He was muttering, "Where these came from."

In a moment of rashness, Reno suddenly reached down and seized Vincent's left hand and brought it up between them.

"This," He said, looking down at the vivid marks that covered the arm, "I want to know what this is."

Reno lost his grip on Vincent's arm as the dark-haired man quickly disengaged himself from the embrace. He took two uncertain steps backward, looking at Reno with a blank face. Then, without a word, he turned and quickly strode out of the room.

Reno stared after him, confused. He suddenly felt weak.

* * *

End Chapter XVII

Aerys: So...We're like really sorry but there were some speed bumps again and we're so totally sure that you are are going to love the chapters from here on after that we wanted to beg your forgiveness again!

*something about Plex being in the kitchen making you all brownies! Questionable substances can be added if you ask!*

Aerys: Why brownies? Because they're the new cookies, damn it! So, next chapter there will be another problem for our lovable Vincent to deal with and also a problem for our adorable Reno!

Now, for the part you've all been waiting for!

Special thanks to:

Sodenoshirayuki56, Alexia-09, Ravanear, Vietta, fetherhd, Mako Headrush, Kyllikki Kills, niina, Kiti Renentine, Anne V. Hijme, and alltheangelsinheaven for all your lovely reviews!  
To everyone else who has favorited and alerted this story, thank you so much as well! We hope you have all enjoyed this chapter and keep your eyes peeled!

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a safe and kick ass New Year!

Until next time...Peace out!


	18. Now, Tomorrow, Always XVIII

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and LunarPlexus.

* * *

When Tifa entered the house, she got a feeling that something wasn't right. She had spent the night at Rude's apartment and needed to return home in order to tend to the children. When she got to the kitchen, there was just something that wasn't as it should be.

There was nothing out of place. The kitchen was still as spotless as it had been yesterday and that's when it clicked. There were no cups out. Surely Reno and Vincent must be awake by now. Tifa had never known Vincent to sleep later than seven-thirty. The newspaper hadn't even been opened and Tifa's curiosity was getting the better of her.

Out of instinct, Tifa headed to the library, still with her bag on her shoulder. When she stepped into the large room, she looked at the desk. Her eyes widened at Vincent's posture. The dark haired man was _slouching_, something he never even thought of doing. Oh, and he was shirtless, also something he never thought of doing. He was always dressed.

Tifa got over her shock and stepped up to the desk, staring at Vincent. The man had his eyes closed and his chin on his chest. Tifa also saw that Vincent was without his claw and headband. She began to panic. What could have happened that made Vincent leave his room in only a towel? Her mind flashed to the worst scenario – Reno was dead.

"Vincent?" she choked out, expecting the worst.

Vincent didn't twitch. He remained in his position and Tifa knew he was alive but she didn't want to go up to Vincent's bedroom and see a sheet pulled over Reno's body. She wondered how she was going to tell Rude that his best friend had passed away overnight.

Tears filled Tifa's eyes. "Vincent?" Nothing, still. "Vincent!"

Vincent slowly raised his head and looked at Tifa. "Yes?"

"One: why are you still in a towel? Two: where is Reno? And finally, what is going on?"

Vincent's left hand twitched and he looked out one of the arch windows, to view the bleak day. That weather forecast had been correct and he hated the weather person. How dare they even think of predicting his day? What gave them the right to think they could do that?

"Reno is upstairs."

Tifa tried to moisten her throat and rid the lump that had taken refuge there. "Vincent…is –is Reno dead?"

Vincent frowned. He wished the redhead was and finally figured out why Tifa was so upset. "No."

Tifa felt the relief wash over her body. She almost began to laugh but remembered that Vincent was sitting in the library in only a towel, without his claw or headband. There was still answers that had to be said and Tifa wasn't about to leave Vincent alone until he explained.

"Well, then why are you sitting in the dark library in only a towel?"

Vincent blinked and looked down his body. He had forgotten about the fact that he was virtually naked. He hoped the children didn't wake up any time soon.

Vincent looked at Tifa again and shrugged. "I decided to go for a different look," he lied.

Tifa dropped her bag and moved around to the other side of the desk and rested against the edge. "What did you do?"

Vincent's eyes widened. "Why are you blaming me? Did you not think that perhaps Reno did something?"

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Okay…what happened?"

At times, Vincent really hated Tifa. Vincent knew it was his fault but he didn't feel he was the one to blame. After all, Reno was the one who took it too far by touching certain parts of Vincent that weren't meant to be touched by human hands.

Vincent lowered his eyes. Everything Reno had said must have been to take the mickey out of him. There was no other explanation. And yet, Vincent knew that wasn't how Reno rolled. Still, Vincent didn't want to admit that maybe Reno cared deeply about him. Or more accurately, Vincent didn't want to admit that he wanted to tell Reno about his scars.

Vincent slowly raised his eyes to meet Tifa's. "I…"

"You challenged him to something and he kicked your ass?"

Vincent frowned slightly. "No. It was nothing like that. Well, actually, maybe it was. We had a moment in the shower. No, it wasn't that kind of moment. Please keep your mind out of the gutter."

Tifa tried to think of a moment that didn't involve anything sexual when it came to Reno. Maybe it was because she didn't know him as well as she knew Rude or even Vincent. On the other hand, maybe she shouldn't be thinking about moments that involve Reno and think of moments that involved Vincent. Her mind still flashed to the gutter and it made her want to giggle.

When Tifa nodded, Vincent continued. "Then I said something that made Reno go almost a little too in-depth with his answer."

Tifa hopped onto the desk and crossed her arms. "Vincent, you're making about as much sense as Denzel on a sugar rush. Just tell me, from the beginning, in great detail, what happened."

Vincent closed his eyes momentarily as he thought about how to word the small story without making Tifa think of something pornographic. Her mind was dirtier than Reno's, sometimes. He sighed and opened his eyes.

"He told me about his sister and his past. I hugged him. Yes, we were in the shower and yes, both of us were naked and no you can not write a story about that. After that, I helped him to get dressed and we hugged again. He told me he wanted to know about Chaos."

Tifa's eyes widened. She admitted, she didn't know much about Chaos or about how it came to be in Vincent's body but she knew enough to know not to ask questions about it. She knew that it was a very delicate part of Vincent's past that he didn't want to share.

Tifa studied Vincent for a few long moments. She didn't realize just how old Vincent looked at that moment in time. He looked worn, tired and like he was ready to give up on the world. Tifa wanted to know what had made Vincent feel that way and she had a feeling it wasn't just about Reno's interest in Chaos.

"Then what did you do?"

"I came here."

"You ran away?"

Vincent sighed and closed his eyes again. "Yes, I ran away. I doubt there was anything I could have said that would have made Reno shut up."

Tifa's eyebrows shot up. She had never heard Vincent speak like that about someone. Even when he would speak to her about something that annoyed him, he was always well-spoken and articulate. She would have to say, she'd never heard Vincent use his words that way.

Tifa glanced at Vincent's left arm and she bit her lower lip. She had never seen it without the claw. It wasn't anything like she was expecting. She was expecting a hideously mutated limb. Though, the red veins were a nice welcome to the horrid image she had built in her mind.

"Why would he want to know, Tifa?" Vincent suddenly asked, like his out-of-character words before hadn't happened.

Tifa looked over her shoulder when she heard someone sigh. She saw Marlene step into the library and up to the desk. The younger girl glared at Vincent with her hands on her hips. Tifa grinned as she knew Vincent was in for a thrashing.

"Isn't it obvious, Uncle Vincent?"

Vincent looked at Marlene and decided the girl had been spending too much time around Tifa. "Isn't what obvious, Marlene?"

"You adults are so stupid! How can I say this so that even you would understand…?" Marlene pressed the index finger of her right hand against her lips as she thought. "Uncle Reno likes you…No, no. Uncle Reno cares for you a lot, the same way you care for him."

Vincent blinked at Marlene. How could she have possibly come up with that on her own? She was barely old enough to know what 'love' was. Vincent couldn't believe, also, that Marlene was calling him stupid, like he was some child.

"She's right," Denzel yawned as he entered the library as well, rubbing his eyes. "Reno likes you, a lot. You do know he would do anything for you, right? The same as you would do anything for him."

"Don't even think about it, Nanaki," Vincent called. It was bad enough he had to deal with the children and Tifa in his face about something they know nothing of. He really didn't feel up to taking it from Nanaki as well. "Now, how would you two know that?"

Denzel shrugged. "We saw the way you smiled at Reno. You never smiled at us, so we figured you have to like him a lot."

"And the way you play with him," Marlene added. "It's not the same as when you play with us. You're more…more…"

"You seem a little more relaxed when you muck around with Reno," Tifa said, grinning.

Vincent thought it over. He could have sworn they were alone whenever he was with Reno. It appeared those three were sneakier than they let on. Well, Vincent already knew about Tifa being like a ninja but the children as well?

Vincent mentally shook his head as a thought hit him. He doubted that he let his guard down that much when he was with Reno. Though, it would explain how they were able to make almost accurate guesses about Reno. Still, it didn't help Vincent with his present dilemma – having to face Reno after running away.

"Why don't you two go and get the stuff ready for choc-chip pancakes?" Tifa suggested to the children, who cheered and ran from the library. "They're right, Vincent. Reno does care about you and as much as you try to reason it, you care about him. How else would you explain letting him stay in your room?"

What Tifa said made sense and Vincent knew it. He just didn't want to care about someone that way. He cursed his heart for being so idiotic and still, when Vincent thought back, he did enjoy that night in the pub. It was good to be noticed. Even if a mistake managed to lead them both to a strong attraction for the other made no sense.

Tifa sighed impatiently, and leaned on the desk.

"You're such a paradox, Vincent." She said, "You're so terribly strong and in control, but you don't understand yourself at all. You've got no idea."

Vincent stared intently at Tifa, considering.

"You don't know yourself, "Tifa continued, "Reno knows you better than you do. He's showing you things, and teaching you things –"

Vincent snorted.

"– yes, _teaching_ you. This is why this whole thing is driving you crazy, because he's forcing you to look at things you don't want to, to understand things that you've never bothered with."

Vincent decided not to be baited.

"People should mind their own business then."

Tifa laughed.

"I know you don't want that. Think about it, if you really don't like this, why are you so attracted to Reno?"

Vincent reacted without considering anything. He stood up, defensive and defiant, and leaned on his side of the desk, looking Tifa straight in the eye.

"Because he looks delicious in a tight pair of jeans, Tifa, okay? That's all there is to it. There's no neurosis here, no tortured bloody hearts, no fucking lesson of _love._ He just has a nice ass!"

Tifa remained where she was, face-to-face over the desk to Vincent. They glared at each other. Tifa was gearing herself up to have her say out, and may well have caused Vincent some harm, if a small voice hadn't been heard at that moment.

"Um…"

Vincent looked up at the doorway, and Tifa wheeled around, thinking the children had heard that explosion.

But no, it was Reno. He was leaning against the doorway, looking uncomfortable, and a little pale.

"Reno –" Tifa began, but Vincent had already crossed the room and seized Reno's shoulders.

"Why are you down here?" He demanded, "How did you get down the stairs?"

Reno looked down at his feet, and Vincent immediately noticed that he was shaking a little.

"It wasn't that hard," he muttered, "my rib is hurting. And I kind of wondered where you went."

Vincent looked Reno over sharply, before feeling his forehead. He felt unusually hot.

"Tifa," Vincent barked, turning around, "could you please prepare some hot soup? I'll come down for it shortly."

Tifa nodded, and left the library, worried.

Negotiating the stairs with Reno was a chore, and Vincent wondered how the redhead had made his way down them on his own. He needed to lean on Vincent quite heavily, and eventually Vincent realized that it would be easier to simply hoist Reno up. Unfortunately, Vincent was still only wearing a towel, and it nearly fell down a fair few times. It didn't make the task any easier.

Eventually they managed to get up the stairs, and into Vincent's room. It was slightly alarming that Reno hadn't complained about anything, and it made Vincent worry.

Reno was safely tucked up in bed, and Vincent removed the towel, pulled on some pants and a sweater, claw and headband as well, and went downstairs.

Tifa was just pouring some hot onion soup into a bowl when Vincent arrived in the kitchen. She looked up when Vincent walked in.

"All right, I've got onion soup, with some beef stock in it., and some orange juice. These," She pointed to some small pills on the table, "are multivitamins and antibiotics. If he's got a temperature then it could mean infection, oh you know…"

Vincent nodded. He did indeed know. If Reno had a fever, it could only mean there was something going wrong on the inside. The only thing that could be was infection, since he had healed all the major injuries.

Tifa assembled the meal and pills on a tray and handed it to Vincent. When Vincent took the tray, Tifa resumed with making the pancake batter.

Vincent stopped at the doorway to the kitchen and looked down at the tray. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Tifa appeared to busy but he knew she knew what was about to happen. Vincent had to apologize for the way he acted towards her.

"Tifa, I am sorry for being so profane towards you."

Tifa nodded and threw a smile over her shoulder. She knew why Vincent had acted that way. She only hoped that Reno hadn't heard it.

"That's fine, I understand." She faced Vincent with a sly grin. "Now fuck off and feed Reno."

Vincent inclined his head and left the kitchen, taking the tray to his bedroom. He placed it on the bedside chest and looked down at Reno. Vincent didn't notice the hurt feeling deep in Reno's eyes earlier and frowned slightly. The pain and fever, along with the forced movement, must have been too much for the redhead.

Vincent helped Reno sit up and froze for a second when he realized just how uncomfortable the air was in the room. Something wasn't right and Reno hadn't made any wise-cracks about how good of a maid Vincent was.

Vincent decided not to think too much on the subject. Right now, Reno's health was the most important thing in the world to him. Vincent crushed the pills and mixed it in with the soup and began to feed Reno

Reno wasn't sure what to say or how to act. He really wanted to know if what Vincent had said was true and at the same time, he didn't want to know if it was. Reno believed everything Vincent ever said, and he couldn't imagine that Vincent would lie about his feelings. He accepted the food, not making eye contact with Vincent in case he did something they would both regret.

Reno swallowed what was in his mouth and decided that the silence was just too much for him. He wanted to break the ice, and also, let Vincent know that he had heard what he'd said. That he understood the situation.

"I didn't think you could swear."

With that sentence said, Vincent stopped what he was doing and stared at Reno. Panic took over his senses as it clicked into place that Reno had probably overheard the entire conversation that had gone on between him and Tifa. Vincent didn't know what to do.

"I have heard you say them often enough," Vincent tried to joke, knowing it came out cracked and very forced.

Reno played with the hem of the sheet.

"It's okay, you know," He said, quietly, "I know how you feel now, so it's all good."

Vincent resumed feeding Reno, not saying anything. He didn't know what to say. He was shocked and mortified that Reno thought he was speaking the truth when Vincent had shouted that. Still, Vincent could understand it in a way. He wouldn't expect Reno to lie about his feelings, either and Vincent was severely regretting saying those words.

Vincent stayed quiet, wanting to think about the proper way to word what he said next. He didn't want to a fire to explode from an ember. And while Reno seemed as though he was fine with it, Vincent suspected the redhead was hurt more than he let on. Vincent wasn't completely clueless when it came to people. _Hmm, maybe I should have said that to Tifa instead._

When Vincent didn't say anything, Reno sighed softly. "It's okay; after all, I chased you because you have a nice ass."

Vincent still didn't make a sound until Reno had finished his soup and was drinking the juice. Vincent placed the bowl on the tray and stared out the window above his bed. He badly wanted to hold Reno and let him know that he was only being a prick to Tifa because of her being so stubborn and at the same time, he didn't want to say anything in case he made Reno feel worse.

Vincent raised his right hand and moved it towards Reno's face but stopped himself. He knew it wasn't a nightmare. He knew he had to realize his fears; all of them had to be addressed before he was able to admit to himself how much he cared about Reno. And Vincent knew it wasn't fair to make Reno wait this long for his answer.

"That is _not_ how I feel about you, Reno."

Reno turned his head and stared at Vincent. He could tell that Vincent was telling the truth but was still a little cautious as Vincent didn't explain why he had said something like that. Then Reno remembered, Vincent never explained himself. Reno was mostly relieved, and glad that Vincent had clarified.

Reno looked at Vincent and smiled softly. He nodded, and Vincent knew it was all right.

Reno finished his juice and lay back on his pillows. He was feeling quite hot and shaky, a little dizzy, too.

"I don't feel so good."

"Try to get some rest. You have a fever and that might take some time to go away." Vincent placed the empty glass on the tray and waited until Reno had at least closed his eyes before he left his bedroom.

Vincent went across the hall to the bathroom and closed the door. He stood, with his back pressed against the wood, for a few seconds before he went to the toilet and vomited. His hands gripped the porcelain as tremors wracked his body.

When he was finished, he blew his nose and flushed the toilet. He rinsed his mouth out and washed his teeth then his face. He stared at his reflection. Feeling slightly better than before, Vincent left the bathroom and went back to his bedroom, closing the door. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching over Reno, not entirely sure on what to expect. He just hoped that the antibiotics took effect soon.

* * *

It had been a long day and by nightfall, Reno's condition seemed to have gotten worse. Vincent had woken the redhead at lunch time to eat something and take more antibiotics, the same with dinner and it didn't appear to help.

Vincent was sitting on the floor, watching Reno in a restless sleep. Vincent felt Reno's forehead and noticed that the redhead's temperature had dropped dangerously low, even though Reno was actually perspiring like he was running.

Vincent cursed himself for not having made Reno take antibiotics from day one. If he had done that, maybe Reno wouldn't be in such pain. Even though there was no basis for his accusation, Vincent blamed himself for not being more careful and for neglecting Reno.

Vincent got to his feet and pulled back the covers of the bed, after turning on the bedside lamp. He looked over Reno's torso and spotted where the infection was. He wrinkled his nose slightly in disgust and automatically went to use Cure on the redhead but stopped. He remembered the way Reno had reacted the morning after and Vincent was certain he didn't want a rerun of that experience.

As Vincent thought about it, he had only two options. One, use materia and heal it all up. Two, cut Reno open and drain the infection and hope he got all of it. Vincent was not keen on the latter with the way Reno was convulsing, and muttering. Vincent knew it would be risky under any circumstances, and could possibly exacerbate the problem.

Using materia seemed the best option, but Vincent knew he couldn't do it. He could handle Reno's anger if it meant saving his life, but he couldn't betray the man's principles a second time.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Vincent looked at Reno's face. His brow was knitted together in a pained scowl, sweat glistening on his upper lip. Death wasn't an immediate possibility now, but Reno had gone so far downhill, so rapidly, that Vincent knew that by tomorrow it could be.

Vincent sighed, and made his decision. He would continue to feed Reno the antibiotics and keep him warm until tomorrow. If his condition hadn't improved by midday, he would use Cure, and damn the consequences.

As Vincent left the room, in search of some hot water, Reno continued to mutter, lost in a feverish world of ghosts.

"_Neya, I've got oranges!"_

_It was a hot summer day, and Reno was twelve._

_The market was buzzing with people, a hot, sticky crowd that one could get lost in so easily. Reno weaved in and out of the throng, pitter-pattering after his sister. She shared his long, bright red hair, and was easy to spot. He caught up with her just as she broke free of the mass of people._

"_Hey!" Neya yelped, as Reno collided with her hip and tumbled to the ground._

_Reno looked up and grinned, a smudged bit of dirt on his nose._

_Neya smiled back, and hurriedly helped the boy up._

"_Reno, you have _got _to learn to slow down!"_

_Reno bounced up and stuck out his tongue, as Neya brushed off his nose with the edge of her sleeve._

"_Look, look, oranges!"_

_Neya looked at the paper bag Reno was waving in her face and smiled reluctantly._

"_And I suppose some good Samaritan just gave them to you again?"_

_Reno shrugged and tried to place the bag in the little basket Neya was carrying. She stopped him._

"_Oh no, no, if I take these back to the kitchen, they'll think I've been spending the master's money on my own things. Remember last time? Take them home with you."_

_Reno hopped from foot to foot and frowned._

"_But I'm not going home, I have to go and play. The boys are waiting for me, I'm the King."_

_Neya impatiently brushed her hair out of her eyes._

"_I'm sure you can go home first, and you could wash that dirt off your nose. Kings don't have dirty faces you know."_

_Reno opened his mouth to object, but Neya stopped him._

"_I'm supposed to be working, Reno. I have to get the shopping back as soon as possible. The lady is having a dinner party tonight." She smiled again, tousling Reno's hair, "If, Sire, you would be so kind as to stay at home tonight, I'll bring you something tasty to go with your oranges. We'll sit up and eat like kings."_

_Reno was sold. Whenever there was some fancy dinner party in those big houses, the rich people barely touched most of the food laid out, and Neya usually brought something home. It was always worth waiting up for Neya after one of these parties._

"_Okay," Reno agreed, "but you have to be the Queen."_

_That night, Neya had hobbled into the tiny apartment carrying a basket filled with cupcakes._

With some difficulty, and plenty of mess, Vincent managed to get Reno to drink the hot water, and crushed-up pills. Reno had choked and spluttered, and mumbled something.

Vincent stroked Reno's forehead for a moment, praying that Reno would improve by tomorrow. He turned and placed the empty glass on the nightstand, and taking the towel he'd brought in to help with any mess. When he turned beck, Reno's eyes were open.

Vincent almost jumped a little. He really hadn't expected Reno to wake up any time soon. Reno licked his lips and coughed, and Vincent noticed that he was having difficulty focusing his eyes.

"Vincent," Reno croaked, looking somewhere to the left of Vincent's face.

"Vincent, I want cupcakes."

Vincent leaned forward and felt Reno's forehead. His temperature had gone up frighteningly fast.

Reno grabbed Vincent's wrist and held it tight.

"Will you make me some cupcakes?" He muttered, "I'll get you some oranges."

Vincent understood that Reno was delirious, and he nodded.

Reno looked relieved.

"I'll buy them for you, I won't even steal them. And I'll finish what I started before, and I'll make sure you don't want to run away. And then you can come and meet my sister."

Vincent smiled a little, and stroked Reno's hair. Reno was obviously so uncomfortable, and so confused, it made Vincent feel quite panicked.

"Alright," He replied, "we'll do all those things tomorrow, when you're healthy again. I'll make you some cupcakes, and I'll show you where you can pick some oranges without stealing them."

Vincent was talking to soothe Reno, and also himself. He felt like he was begging Reno to get better.

"You can write a letter to Neya, and find out when we can go and visit her."

Reno's eyes found Vincent's at last, and he held on tighter to his wrist.

"And you'll let me love you and you won't run away?"

Vincent nodded, feeling a little feverish himself.

Reno relaxed a little, and sighed. He closed his eyes and let go of Vincent's wrist, sinking back into sleep.

Vincent was shaken, and stayed next to Reno for a few moments, trying to compose himself. To his relief, Reno seemed to be sleeping a little more peacefully than he had been before he woke up. The restlessness had faded, and the redhead was no longer shivering. He was still perspiring but that was to be expected.

Content with his observation, Vincent sat beside the bed, in the covers that were set up on the floor for him. He continued to watch Reno, just to be on the safe side. The last thing Vincent needed was for Reno to walk around in his delirious state and possibly scare the children. Vincent felt his eyes beginning to close against his will. He fought them for a while but couldn't hold on any longer.

Vincent was sure he had only closed his eyes for a few minutes but when he opened them again, he was standing over his bed, looking down at a naked, writhing and moaning Reno. It was his bed but instead of a mattress, there were smoldering embers. Vincent looked on with interest. To see Reno like that stirred something, lost and deep, in Vincent. Something that could be pleasurable, if Vincent ever let it out more than once in a blue moon.

Vincent's eyes widened a fraction as he saw something moving around Reno. Vincent couldn't get a clear view of it but he was smart enough to know what it was. It was something he didn't want near Reno, at all, ever. But at the same time, Vincent knew that having Reno around him would expose the redhead to it. It grinned at Vincent, its yellow eyes gleaming with an intent that Vincent didn't like.

* * *

End Chapter XVIII.

Aerys: So as promised, here is chapter eighteen. We ask that you be merciful on us as we have finally gotten together for the first time, properly, in well over two months. And if you aren't nice, we won't gve you the hot, and sexy chapter nineteen that will leave you all panting! You know what's coming by the end of this chapter! So if you want to see that, be nice!  
We're hoping that we'll be able to give you a second update in the same day but please don't hope for miracles.

Plex: Yeah, we suck. But hey, when we started this journey, Aerys was only working a little and I wasn't working at all...plus, we lived like ten minutes away from eachother. Now I work five days a week and we live far, far away from eachother.

So! Enough excuses! We are still working hard to bring you the Reno-coated Vincent-y goodness you crave. I would have dropped a subtle little hint at what to expect from the next chapter...but Aerys already did, so...make sure you're alone when you read it ;) We have been playing with ideas for another fic when we're done with this one, so if you lovely fllowers want to contribute any ideas, go nuts!

Now for a word from our sponsors:

Reno: I feel all woozy...

Vincent: So do I...now...

Also, welcome to DamonWesker and ishala8 :) thanks for reading and reviewing, we hope you continue to enjoy!

EDIT:  
We totally spaced because we thought we would get chapter nineteen up but because of circumstances it didn't happen...So this is what Plex and I would like to say:  
HAPPY EASTER! We sure hope you have a safe one!


	19. Now, Tomorrow, Always XIX

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and LunarPlexus.

* * *

As Chaos moved around Reno, Vincent felt his emotions spike, namely anger. Chaos grinned, its lips pulling back to reveal its jagged teeth. They glistened in an unknown light source and Vincent felt a little ill. It appeared to please Chaos and it chuckled, moving to hover over Reno's body. Vincent's hands fisted but he didn't move to fight the creature off.

Chaos' tongue struck Reno's cheek and the redhead moaned loudly. Vincent wanted to look away from the scene but found he couldn't. Maybe it was the sensual movements of Reno's body or maybe it was because Vincent wanted to know what Chaos actually had in mind for Reno. It was apparent that the only thing Chaos wanted was Reno's body. Vincent found himself differing from that. He wanted Reno, all of him.

Chaos disappeared in a wisp of white smoke, only to reappear behind Reno, holding him, nuzzling his cheek. Chaos was no longer grinning but smirking, almost like he was taunting Vincent. Vincent knew it was like a secret challenge. Chaos wanted Vincent to give into his anger and hatred and bitterness and let Chaos take over his body again. Vincent wasn't going to fall for it. He knew Chaos was pretty much powerless without him. And there was no way that Chaos was going to hurt Reno, since that was the only leverage that Chaos had over Vincent.

And yet, Chaos seemed to know _exactly_ what to do to make Vincent's blood boil. Vincent watched as a clawed hand moved down to Reno's groin. Vincent's breathe hitched in his throat. His heart thumped against his ribs and Chaos cackled, knowing what was going on with Vincent's body. Chaos knew how badly Vincent wanted to be in his place and still managed to restrain himself.

Chaos left Reno's body to appear in front of Vincent, lust swirling in the yellow eyes Vincent had grown to hate. Chaos spoke, a sound that made Vincent outwardly flinch. It wasn't a grating sound or a high pitch sound but it was Chaos' voice and Vincent didn't care what it sounded like; he would always hate it.

"You know you want it, Vincent," Chaos taunted. "Your eyes say 'no' but your body is _screaming_ for it. You've been denying yourself for too long. You've been denying _us_ for too long."

Vincent tried to ignore Chaos' words, not wanting to give into Chaos' demands. Vincent had had that devil in him long enough to know what it was like. It would do anything to get a rise out of Vincent and he wasn't going to have it. He was stronger.

Chaos rested his cheek against Vincent's. Vincent suppressed a shudder of disgust as Chaos' hot breath brushed over his ear, as the words were whispered. Vincent could feel his anger spike and he knew that he was giving into Chaos.

"He wants it, too. He wants you. He wants us." Chaos closed its eyes as its hands ran over Vincent's back, sliding down to the elastic top of his pants. "Why do you do this to us, Vincent?"

Vincent bit back a growl as Chaos moaned in his ear. It was an eerily seductive sound and at the same time, it made the bile in Vincent's stomach rise dangerously high. But it was lost as Chaos moved around Vincent's body to stand behind him. Vincent might not have been able to see it but he could hear the smirk returning to Chaos' lips as the creature spoke again.

"I know you can hear him. Hear the way his body reacts to our touches. The way it moves, wanting to get more of it."

Vincent glanced down at Reno. His eyes were still closed and Vincent wondered if the redhead had opened them at all. If he hadn't, Vincent was grateful for it. Vincent wasn't sure why but he didn't want Reno to see Chaos, didn't want the ex-Turk to know that Vincent was almost beyond help.

Vincent's back went rigid when Chaos wrapped its arms around his waist, kissing a shoulder. Vincent felt himself feeling sick again as he felt something pressing against the small of his back. Something that would make any normal person want to vomit.

"Don't act like you're a saint, Vincent. I've got it because you do," Chaos said in an almost sing-song tone. "If you weren't turned on by seeing Reno like this, I wouldn't be. But there are so many fantasies running through your head right now."

Vincent couldn't control himself any longer when he felt a clawed hand move to his groin. He spun around, ready to grab Chaos by the throat and kill it when it disappeared. Vincent turned around again and saw Chaos on the bed, not-so-gently opening Reno's legs and sliding up between them. Vincent watched as Chaos' tongue slipped out and flicked over the head of Reno's erection.

"Don't," Vincent growled before he could stop himself.

Chaos looked up and chortled. "So you do speak to your old friends."

"Leave Reno out of this."

Chaos looked at Vincent with an almost blank gaze. "_I'm_ not the one who brought him into this. It would be so much better if you just let me out once in a while."

"Like the last time?"

Chaos shuddered in delight. "Mm, that was fun. I think that was the first time you slept with C–"

"Do not bring Reno into this. He has nothing to do with this."

Chaos wisped his being all around Reno, smirking like the Cheshire cat. He didn't say anything for a while, just continued to touch Reno in places that would create the most pleasure. Vincent couldn't say that he was waiting patiently. He didn't want Chaos to be anywhere near Reno. Reno didn't do anything to deserve having Chaos being interested in him.

"He's beautiful, Vincent and he cares for you. When they care, it's even more fun to rip them away from you." Chaos actually giggled.

Vincent lent forward and grabbed Chaos by the throat. Reno could never know why Vincent was so restrained. Reno could never know about Chaos. Vincent had to protect him, had to make sure he didn't know too much. Vincent had never wanted Reno to get into the middle of this. Vincent just knew that Chaos would try something low and sneaky. Anything to make sure that Vincent cracked and gave into the darkness.

"Don't you _dare_ touch him."

Chaos evaporated from Vincent's hands, going to the other side of the bed. He leaned on it and nuzzled Reno's cheek. "And you care for him, too."

Vincent growled. Right now, he didn't really care that he was playing into Chaos' plans. That thing had no right to touch his Reno. Reno had nothing to do with Chaos and it was the words the devil spoke that hurt. They struck something in Vincent that he didn't want to remember. He remembered Lucrecia. Anger, pain, sorrow, hate and loneliness overtook Vincent's senses.

"Why? Why do you do this to me?"

Chaos appeared in front of Vincent again, looking almost concerned for the man. "Because it's fun. It was fun when that woman inserted my genes into your bloodstream. It was fun when I became one with you. And it was fun when you let me out and I was able to cause mayhem and bloodshed."

Vincent punched Chaos. "You are not 'one' with me."

Chaos laughed, floating up into the air and flipping backwards to softly lower itself towards Reno again. "I am one with you, Vincent. You can deny it and try to hide it. Everyone knows. Everyone knows what a monster you really are. Everyone knows how weak you are."

Vincent roared with pent up emotion. He glared at Chaos, who only smirked. "I am not weak. I'm strong enough to keep you under control."

Vincent lowered his eyes to Reno, who was still wriggling on the bed, panting and moaning. Even through the anger and other feelings, lust was still coming through. Reno looked delicious on the bed like that and Vincent knew that was Chaos thinking. Reno looked beautiful when he was in pleasure.

Chaos grinned at Vincent's thoughts. Chaos loved being blamed for almost every impulsive thought Vincent had. It was a turn on and it only made Chaos stronger. The more Vincent thought about him the more energy he was receiving. If Vincent continued to think about him as often as he was, Chaos would be able to take control of Vincent without needing permission.

Chaos would admit he found it amusing that even in his own dream Vincent was still as restrained as he normally was and still blaming Chaos for everything. Chaos knew he didn't really give Vincent much freedom. That was a lie. Chaos tried not to give Vincent any freedom. Chaos wanted Vincent to know he was owned, just like Reno was. Chaos owned everything that Vincent thought he did.

Chaos made his way under Reno, the creature now naked. "Are you really that strong?" he asked as he penetrated Reno.

Vincent gasped, blinking. He glanced around and saw that he was in his room and he was standing. He looked down at his bed and saw that Reno had managed to kick the covers off and was writhing in a similar fashion that he was in that episode that just happened. Vincent saw Reno's eyes were open and frowned slightly.

As Vincent moved, his pants brushed against his crotch and Vincent realized it was a lot more sensitive than normal. He tried to ignore it as he sat on the edge of his bed, running his fingertips along the frame of Reno's face. He wasn't sure what had happened but it was something he could think about later. Right now, all that mattered was making sure Reno was going to be fine.

Vincent thought about it. He had to find a way to make Reno really sweat so the only thing they would have to worry about would be the infection. If Vincent was able to make Reno sweat out his fever it would make things a little easier.

Having made his decision, Vincent got into his bed, pulling Reno against him. After the not-so-little scene with Chaos, Vincent's body temperature was quite high and figured that would only be a benefit towards Reno.

After a short time, Vincent came out of his thoughts about what that thing with Chaos could have meant when he realized that Reno was talking. The redhead wasn't really saying much and in his current state, Vincent didn't find it really surprising. It would have been impressive if Reno had actually managed to talk in full sentences and have those sentences make sense.

"C-cold."

Reno snuggled into Vincent's welcoming warmth. He was shivering, and grateful when he felt Vincent's arms around him. He seemed half awake, to Vincent and he was worried about that. He wasn't sure that he liked Reno being awake when most of his healing would be done while he was sleeping. On the other hand, Reno had been sleeping all day and Vincent was wondering if Reno had gotten too much sleep.

Deciding that in his current state there was no way that Reno could get too much sleep, Vincent pulled the covers over them and closed his eyes for a few moments. Vincent knew for sure now that he wasn't going to get any sleep that night. Vincent tightened his arms around Reno a little more and opened his eyes. He noticed that the curtains had been drawn and wondered who had done that.

Vincent loosened his grip when Reno moaned and used a hand to push away the redhead's fringe and watch his face. His eyes were still half opened and really glazed over. Vincent knew that Reno wasn't in the right mind set to actually have made a rational decision but when Reno said one thing and Vincent tensed.

"It's okay if you don't love me." The words were almost sung out.

The words weren't as bad as Vincent thought they were. Reno did something that was even more terrifying to Vincent. There was a skilled hand movement and Vincent gasped as there was a certain part of his anatomy that was grasped. Vincent was shocked frozen as the remnant of the dream was still apparent. Vincent wasn't comfortable with the pleasure, he rarely was. But it was way more uncomfortable to leave it alone than to have it taken care of.

Reno turned towards Vincent, nuzzling his neck. Vincent was so tense it nearly hurt, and he was seized with a sudden impulse, totally natural for him, to shove Reno away. Reno began to work that magic he'd boasted of that night in the pub, and Vincent conceded him his right to boast. It was a terrifying experience. Vincent had always scorned carnal weakness, even before Lucrecia…

But no, not now. Vincent, bogged down as he was with memories, didn't want to let her shadow interfere with what was happening right here and right now. This was about Reno. Reno was feverish, there was the threat of infection, and Vincent just wanted to help him. He told himself that over and over.

Except the tables seemed to have turned, and Reno was the one in control. Vincent lay there, rigid and tensed while Reno stroked him and muttered into his neck.

It occurred to Vincent that maybe it wasn't wrong to enjoy it. Reno was obviously happy to do that, and Vincent knew that this was something normal, everyday people enjoyed. He had enjoyed this too, once upon a time, with Lucrecia. This was irritating, that experience kept springing into his head. Lucrecia had made him sit on the edge of her bed. It had a rose-pattern spread, Vincent remembered. She had smiled, and done this very thing. Vincent had been amazed, shocked even, and fascinated. He had felt guilty at one point, and felt he should return the favor.

He hadn't been able to do it. Lucrecia had known his intentions, and very sweetly guided his hand to her most secret place. Vincent had recoiled, her warmth lingering on his hand. She was married, forbidden fruit. Vincent couldn't ignore that. And she had laid hands on him, thus making him her partner in crime.

Reno ran his tongue up Vincent's neck, eliciting the slightest shudder from the man next to him.

"_My pleasure is your pain."_

Vincent shied away from Reno's searching tongue, and the sound of Chaos' voice inside his head, doubting. He had brought Lucrecia to shame. Or she had brought him to shame. Maybe both.

"_Lucrecia and Reno are not the same person!"_

Reno's hand wandered up to Vincent's chest, digging his short nails in slightly. He scraped them down Vincent's torso, as he struggled onto his knees, and moved to the end of the bed. Vincent was apprehensive, not really knowing where Reno was going. There was some relief, mingled with an odd sense of loss, as Reno ceased his devilish caresses.

Reno ran his hands up and down Vincent's torso, head down, gazing at Vincent's pyjama pants. He worked his way downwards, hooking his fingers upon the edge of Vincent's pants. Vincent heard Lucrecia's voice.

Vincent shook his head slightly, trying to banish her from his mind. Immediately, Reno mumbled:

"I want you to like it, alright?"

Vincent stared at Reno. Reno didn't pick up on the most basic of social cues, much less being capable of reading minds. Reno stared back at him. Perhaps Vincent imagined his words, but still, it was clearly what Reno was thinking. Vincent couldn't bring himself to assent, or even give the slightest nod, but Reno seemed to have caught what he was thinking. He pulled Vincent's pyjamas down and off.

Vincent had an odd thought, perhaps he should have reminded Reno to fold his pants neatly and place them out of harm's way.

"_Harm's way…"_

Chaos' voice echoed inside Vincent's head.

"_I will let him have you, I will let you have him. Pain, regret, shame, everything he is. You can have Chaos, the end of the world, everything he is. Ravish him, he'll take you and make you his."_

Vincent jumped, resting up on his elbows, clenching his teeth.

"_You have no place here, stay away from him. I'm doing this. This is about Reno, and me, not you."_

Reno paid no mind anyway. He seized Vincent by the shoulders and pinned him down again, and Vincent felt no alarm. It was so much easier to leave it all up to Reno. He had left it all up to Lucrecia, yes, but he didn't have to put a stop to it this time, not if he didn't want to.

Reno had Vincent pinned, and he took full advantage of it. He licked Vincent's neck again, right up to his ear. The redhead nibbled on Vincent's earlobe briefly, before attacking his neck, biting, licking sucking. Vincent could stop himself, he writhed under Reno's attentions. Vincent suddenly found himself only able to hear and think through pure sensation.

"_He's beautiful, Vincent, and he cares for you."_

"…_he does. And it's nothing to do with you."_

Reno licked his finger and moved it downwards.

"_Reno has everything to do with this."_

Reno penetrated Vincent.

_One gasp, circling finger. Beating heart, pleasure-shock-moan._

"_I am strong enough."_

_Two fingers, fluttering, pitter-patter, fear-pain-soak-me-pull-me-deep…_

"_This is something you will never understand."_

Vincent's hands, seeking Reno's hair, still stiff with gel. Vanity does not shy away from the ill. _Hips raised, back arched…_

"Vincent."

_Penetrating, stretching-flesh-tight, Reno plunging inside. Gentle movement, moving-seeking-_

"_You stupid child, you cannot possibly understand this."_

_Reno inside, Reno outside, tongue-lash-lick, Reno all over. _

Vincent's neck was bitten once more, his wrists pinned to the bed, his pain seeping into something frightening and powerful, pleasurable and urgent.

_Reno above, face hidden, lust-driving, love-seeking creature._

"Vincent, I…"

_Vincent out-of-body, looking down on himself. Legs flung over redhead-glory-back, nails tearing ivory-skin-silk. Reno's lips seeking, Vincent's head turned. No matter, tongue-on-nipples, nipping. Vincent sinking…_

"_You are _nothing_, silly Chaos-child."_

Reno positioned himself, one hesitant look. Vincent nodded. Reno eased inside.

"_Now, stay out of my head…!"_

Vincent pictured himself: Legs wrapped around Reno as he moved, slowly at first, accommodating the pain. Arms laying limply at first, throwing them around Reno as the first waves of pleasure ebbed in. Vincent restrained himself. He wondered what Reno felt, his face hidden in Vincent's neck. After all, this was for him.

That conviction faltered, though. It wasn't long before Vincent was clenching his teeth, nails digging into Reno's back, willing himself to remain imperceptible. Reno was unmerciful, diving into Vincent again and again, until he felt the raven-haired man clench down, one gasp, warmth spreading between them.

Vincent lay limp, eyes shut, and ashamed. Suddenly, for the third and final time that night, Reno spoke his name.

"Vincent…"

Vincent let his eyes open against his will, watching Reno's face above him.

Reno buried his face in Vincent's neck, whispering incoherently, shuddering, arms imprisoning Vincent, then he lay still.

_Vincent, still looking down from above, pleasure abating, not yet gone. Still with a sense of triumph._

"_I know everything he wants," _Chaos whispered, "_everything. You've had him, now you'll know how hard it is to lose him."_

Vincent tensed as the demon's words began to sink in more and he found himself rejoining his body. Everything that had just happened was a mistake, plain and simple. It had been a mistake to take advantage of Reno in that state. It had all been medical. But with Chaos making himself more known, Vincent wasn't as sure anymore.

Vincent's eyes widened as he felt the gentle caress. The hand that was softly stroking his cheek in a caring manner that made Vincent tense even more. It was worse than Reno's sexual ministrations. Vincent was certain he was forgetting how to breathe. There was a chuckle from his demon and Vincent bit back a growl of anger as he glared up at the ceiling where he could see the monster hovering. Its yellow eyes sparkled with an emotion that annoyed Vincent more than he cared to admit.

"_It felt _wonderful_, didn't it? The feeling of his hard cock inside of you." _ There was that laugh again. The one that made Vincent think of a snide child. It wasn't without mirth, though. And Vincent shifted ever so slightly at the sound. The hand on his cheek continued and Reno raised his head.

Vincent forced his eyes to focus on Reno's. The redhead grinned at him and Vincent quickly looked away again. He was ashamed. He was already damaged goods but now he had passed the same traits onto the ex-Turk and that was something Vincent wasn't entirely sure he could deal with. How could he have been so stupid as to make Reno do something like that? How could he force Reno into that sort of position? How could he have let Chaos rule his mind like that?

The gentle fingers brushed over his lips and Vincent parted them slightly in a soft gasp. He couldn't look at Reno's face. He couldn't see the false look of happiness and bliss. It was his fault that Reno thought he had felt better than he actually was. Vincent was diabolical. He was the monster that was still snickering at him.

"_That's right, Vincent. By showing how much you enjoyed it, with your seed tainting his body from how good he just fucked you, you have done more than just taint him."_ Chaos took a moment to enjoy the look of horror in Vincent's eyes. "_No-one will ever want him again because of what you did to him; what you _made_ him do to you."_

The fingers were tracing his lips, almost as though the tips were trying to commit the shape of them to memory. Vincent stared at Reno, finally bringing himself to look at the redhead that was still grinning at him, like he didn't have a care in the world. Vincent couldn't understand it. Actually when he thought about it, Vincent didn't want to understand it. How could Reno still feel as though what they had done was a good thing? Chaos was right. Reno wasn't just damaged goods; he was spoilt. He was off. There would be no-one who would ever accept him and understand what had happened to him.

"_You are such a selfish person, Vincent. Taking everything you wanted from the boy and not giving anything back. You destroyed whatever chance he had at happiness for your _own_ gain."_

Vincent was almost hyperventilating. Reno was there. Their eyes met for a second and Reno lent down, trying to taint himself further by attempting to kiss Vincent. Vincent turned his head away before Reno could make the biggest mistake of his life. Reno's almost caring lips landed on his cheek and Reno was still in too much of a feverish delusion to realize what had just occurred.

Vincent pushed the body on top of him away. It wasn't Reno's fault that he was stained and Vincent wasn't sure if there was any way for him to apologize from what he had done. No, there wasn't; Reno was doomed from that night on. All because Vincent had lost control of his urges. He had given into the things that had caused him and his previous love interest so much pain. Why was he so stupid? Vincent got to his feet, ignoring the foreign feeling in his rear and ran into the bathroom, with Chaos still laughing at him.

In the bathroom, Vincent panted with his back against the closed door. The pleasure was undeniable but the sin behind it outweighed anything else in Vincent's fragmented mind. He hadn't been fully in control of himself or he would've been able to stop it all. Pieces were drifting together and pulling away as he tried to make a full picture of what had happened, all he could remember were lyrical sensations. It was almost as though his mind was blocking out certain parts of it. Namely the parts where Vincent had voiced his pleasure.

Vincent placed a hand to his mouth. Why had Reno tried to kiss him? What was that idiot thinking? Two pieces connected but they weren't of the same image. One had been the almost loving feeling he had felt when Reno had touched his cheek and the other was of a similar touch on his torso that had made him arch into it. Vincent removed his hand from his mouth and gently ran his fingers over it, the same way Reno had. What was Reno's fascination with his mouth?

With a silent growl, Vincent turned the shower on and added very little cold water to the hot. He wanted to burn away the chipped memories and make himself believe they had never happened. He wanted so desperately to wake up on the floor and find that that had been nothing but a very fucked up dream that had been both pleasurable and remarkably scarring. As much as he wanted that to happen, Vincent wasn't that childish to believe in luck. Well, he believed in bad luck but good luck seemed to pass him by every chance it got.

Vincent scrubbed his body. He scrubbed so hard in some places that he managed to make that area bleed slightly. Nothing removed the sin. He could still see the dirt that was on his body and with Chaos reminding him of how _good_ it felt to have Reno do those things to his body; Vincent knew that Reno would be scrubbing himself just as hard. At least, that was what he believed. He doubted that the redhead would actually feel any sort of remorse for what had happened. After all, their slight friendship had started from Reno wanting to do those sorts of things to his body. And he finally had.

Vincent shook his head. What was he thinking? It wasn't Reno's fault that that had occurred. It was his. He could tell himself that in the morning Reno would feel a lot better as he had probably sweated the fever out. He could say that until the cows came home but Chaos had won again. It had all been about Vincent. He had wanted it and he had taken it. It had started out as something for Reno but then Vincent had lost control and _enjoyed_ it. At the same time, wasn't sex about give-and-take?

Vincent shook his head as Chaos laughed almost manically. "_Sex is never about that when it comes to you, idiot. You always make it about yourself. You're the one that needs to feel the pleasure and you don't give a damn how the other feels about it. You didn't say Reno's name once."_

Vincent narrowed his eyes and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his hips. He shook his head. No. Chaos was wrong, that's all there was to it. Reno didn't know what he was doing. If Vincent had spoken, it would've ruined the fantasy for Reno. He hadn't been _that_ selfish. Reno had enjoyed it. Vincent had felt Reno's enjoyment of it fill him and then the not as enjoyable feeling of it leaving him.

Vincent left the bathroom and stopped outside his bedroom door. Reno was still in there but so were all his clothes. "Why are you standing there in a towel, Vincent?"

Vincent blinked and looked over his shoulder, seeing a pair of almost glowing yellow eyes. "No reason, Nanaki. I was just thinking of something that made me pause here. Why are you wandering around?"

Nanaki got to his feet and Vincent was certain that if it was possible the leonine animal would've shrugged. "I just felt the need to stretch my legs. I thought I heard something coming from your room but I must've been mistaken."

Vincent watched as Nanaki went back to the children's room. Oh…shit! Who else had heard it? Thankfully Cloud wasn't around anymore as Vincent didn't really want to explain it to him. Tifa was out, right? She was going over to Rude's for the night, right? Vincent calmed himself. At least they hadn't woken the children. That was the main thing. They didn't need to be traumatized that early in their lives. Vincent went into his bedroom, grateful to see that Reno was asleep.

It seemed that his own personal hell and the thoughts of others hearing them were a little too much for Vincent's jigsaw mind to handle. It didn't take long for him to collapse to the makeshift bed beside his own and black out. He didn't have to hear Chaos. He didn't have to deal with anything else and in the morning, he could deal with Reno, if it came to that.

* * *

End Chapter XIX.

**Aerys**: Holy sweet merciful crap! Nearly eight months is a new record for us! We do apologize and all of that, and again work and several personal issues got in the way. However we can safely say that this puppy is nearing its completion and we have NOT forgotten about it. We occasionally talk on the phone about it, but everyone knows what its like to be a grown up. Shit just isn't as fun as it was. God I miss being young!  
So as usual we beg, plead and hope that you will forgive us! But as a little spoiler... Shit is gonna be awesome in the upcoming chapters! I mean really, REALLY cool! It's gonna be at least 20% cooler than what you're used to! (Free brownie to anyone that got that reference! Boo-yah!)  
And there will be NO hiatus for this story. There will be long delays in updates, but we will get around to it, eventually!

**Plex:** Wondering who had the "Personal issues"? Yup, it was me! Plex managed to go off the deep end and spent some time in two different psych wards...true story! Talking about myself in the third person will have a whole different meaning to you now :P I am NOT dangerous, I was just very, very sad, but I am somewhat less sad now, and ready to start writing lots of yummy goodness again!

**Special thanks to...:**

fetherhd, Cuzosu, call me baka again, Tyak, Ricoch3t, DamonWesker, Alexia-09, Anon aka Chicken, Souseika-chan, Anne Voda Hijme, Vampirefeathers, omgitskirby, Shinosuke, Haeleigh, Spoinger, and forgottenmahname!  
We seriously appreciate all the support that you have shown us! We look forward to all of your wonderful reviews!

**To everyone who alerted or favorited:** Thank you so much! We hope that this update will keep you happy until we post the next chapter!

Now, considering how close it is to Christmas (and how _regularly_ we update!) you can bet that there will not be another update until after the New Year. So with that said, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! We hope everyone enjoys the festive season and has a great and safe time!


	20. Now, Tomorrow, Always XX

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and LunarPlexus.

* * *

Reno woke feeling more well-rested than he had in a while. The room was dark and cool, there was no sunlight. Vincent must have drawn the curtains.

Reno stretched, kicking the heavy quilt to the end of the bed, and sat up, looking around. Vincent was asleep, his hair fanned out around him. This was the first time Reno had awoken before Vincent, and it occurred to him that he should go downstairs and make the coffee this time. Reno couldn't remember how Vincent had his coffee or if he did indeed drink it, but he was sure he could improvise.

Reno swung his legs over the edge of the bed, realising he was naked. He couldn't remember why, but he was sure there was a good reason. Vincent did not habitually strip people naked for fun.

Shrugging a little, Reno stood up and retrieved his pants from the foot of the bed and pulled them on. He threw another glance behind himself at Vincent, and noticed a scratch on his shoulder as he did so. Reno figured he must have slept violently, and done it to himself.

There was no other movement in the house; Reno supposed everyone else was asleep. He entered the kitchen, switched the kettle on, and searched the cupboards for cups and coffee. It didn't occur to Reno that his nightmarishly strong coffee wasn't what Vincent wanted to wake up to first thing in the morning, but all in all, Reno was pleased with himself.

He leaned on the shining countertop and sipped at his own concoction briefly, thinking about the night before. He had gotten sick again, and yesterday it must have gotten worse, because he only remembered being awake at intervals. Reno was grateful his head wasn't pounding like it had been, he remembered having a nasty, sickening headache and a fever. It must have broken in the night though, because Reno could remember being more comfortable, and snatches of a dream.

It had been a good dream, too, from what he remembered. Reno grinned into his coffee. Vincent had been naked, with his legs wrapped around Reno, panting into his ear. He had had these kinds of dreams about Vincent before, but nothing as real as this one, or as detailed. Vincent had even scratched Reno's back, a subtle little detail Reno supposed his mind had cooked up.

Thinking about his dream turned out to be a bad thing. Reno had no desire to be found in the kitchen with a coffee and an erection, especially not by one of the children. Shaking his head slightly, Reno pointed at his own crotch threateningly.

"Stop that." He mumbled.

Reno glanced at the kitchen door, turned towards the counter, and slipped a hand down the front of his pants, attempting to readjust himself.

He froze.

Reno had had a few drunken experiences in his time. On some occasions, he had woken up with no memory of the night before. On some of _those _occasions, he had found out exactly how good his night had been by relying on certain evidence on his own body.

What Reno encountered in his pants was really nothing more than an indication that he had truly enjoyed his dream. That would have been his conclusion if he hadn't remembered the scratch on his shoulder. Immediately Reno remembered Vincent moaning and digging his nails into Reno's skin.

Reno suddenly remembered that Vincent doesn't drink coffee; only tea. Reno bustled on with making the hot beverage for the man whose world he had rocked during the night as he tried to dig up more memories about it. Adding the tea and water, Reno absentmindedly added a few helpings of sugar as well as he stared out of the window but didn't see anything. He had touched Vincent's body, too, even though he couldn't remember how the skin felt. He had no doubt it was soft just like his hair.

With a smirk, Reno picked up his coffee and Vincent's tea and went back to the room, determined to remember what Vincent's body felt like. He inched in and looked down at Vincent, raising an eyebrow. The raven haired man's lips were parted slightly as he took deep breaths and Reno resisted the urge to cackle like a madman as he set the tea down on the floor and his coffee on the night stand.

Reno lied beside Vincent and gently ran his fingers from Vincent's temple down his cheek, along the curvature of his jaw and stopped at the man's clavicle. There was a sound that wasn't entirely of discomfort but not fully pleasure either as Vincent turned his back to Reno. Reno pouted slightly. If it had been anyone else, they would've wondered why Vincent hadn't sat up like the stick up his ass had been electrified.

Reno glared and pushed his upper body up to direct the frown at Vincent's portrait. With a cunning smirk, he moved Vincent's hair to the side and dipped his head, running his tongue along edge, back down to the lobe where he nibbled gently.

Vincent groaned gently and opened his eyes. They were unfocused and he wasn't all that impressed to be woken up at that hour. He just wanted to sleep and something was preventing him from doing that. Granted, it was something that felt oddly nice and maybe it relaxed him a little but there was something about it.

"Morning, sweetheart," Reno almost sang out.

Vincent turned his head and stared into the amused teal eyes. It took soft lips brushing against his own before Vincent pushed Reno away and got to his feet, looking around frantically. If Reno was doing that then he remembered what had taken place a few hours ago. Vincent's heart thumped in his chest as he tried to think of an excuse for it to have happened.

Reno raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Here! I made you a cup of tea because I know Tifa wouldn't let me near the kitchen if I was gonna cook." He picked up the cup and held it out to Vincent. "Look, I didn't poison it and I went through hell to make this for you. I figured it was my turn to do something nice for you…again."

Vincent's eyes snapped to Reno's as the redhead smirked at him. He should've been expecting it, really. After all, Reno was slightly challenged in some areas of thinking and as far as Reno was concerned, he was probably just happy to have gotten laid. Vincent bit back a sigh and nodded, taking the cup from Reno's hand. At least the ex-Turk had the decency to put his pants back on and Vincent frowned slightly. He was still in the towel and Reno was kneeling in front of him.

Reno grinned as Vincent took the cup. He wasn't _that_ stupid as to not pick up that Vincent didn't want to talk about last night but at the same time, it wasn't fair that Vincent got to remember all the awesome parts about it and he had to try and piece it together. He wanted to know all the details, too. Like, which areas had affected Vincent the most? Reno suppressed a shudder of delight at the thought of doing it again.

A soft blush crept its way onto Vincent's cheeks as he saw Reno's eyes glaze over and the memories of the hell from the night before came back to him. He was still in a debate with himself over how to play it out. Should he play it down and remind Reno that it was for the fever? Or tell Reno that it didn't happen and play up his imagination being really good and that he had slept rather violently? No, that last one was just stupid. He would have to play it down and hope to any holy being that Reno didn't get the wrong idea. With that though, Vincent took a sip of his tea and spat it back out.

"Hey!" Reno cried defensively as he came out of his reverie. "I know it was my first try, but it can't be so bad you've gotta _spit_ it back into the cup and…Did you just pour that out the window?"

"Why would you put sugar in tea? Most teas are sweet enough without that cane in there." Vincent closed the window and went to his closet, pulling on a pair of leather pants under the towel.

"So I made _one_ mistake! I'll get it right next time. Just gotta remember that you think you're sweet enough." Reno chuckled to himself as he sat on the bed, observing Vincent openly and taking a gulp of his coffee. Vincent really did have a beautiful – yes, beautiful – body. Even with all the scars and especially the ones on his shoulder that made it look as though Red had attacked him.

Vincent went to the bedside chest and put his headband on. He did his best to ignore Reno's eyes. "As long as you're feeling better. I'm sure Rude will be happy to know that your life is now out of immediate danger. How is the infection?"

Reno blinked. "I have an infection?"

Vincent put his claw down and looked at Reno's ribs. There was still some discoloration on the skin but it didn't seem to be giving the redhead any trouble so Vincent shrugged. He would just keep feeding Reno antibiotics until he felt it was good enough.

"Perhaps," Vincent said, "You'll continue taking your antibiotics until I'm sure."

Reno chuckled and glided over to Vincent, wrapping his arms around the dark-haired man's waist.

"I love it when you order me around."

Vincent shook his head and put a hand to his temple.

"If that's so," he said through gritted teeth, "then we shouldn't have a problem."

Reno rested his chin on Vincent's shoulder.

"Was it good for you?" He asked cheekily.

Vincent rolled his eyes, and didn't answer.

"Hey, it's not fair, you know," Reno snapped, "you get to remember it all and I only remember little bits. I just wanna be sure I blew your mind!"

Vincent disengaged Reno's arms and continued fitting his claw.

"I'd gladly change places," Vincent said, airily, "You're welcome to the memories, Reno. _My_ ego is not solely dependent on my bedroom performance."

Reno scowled, burned.

"_My_ ego doesn't need boosting, Vincent," he barked, "and _you _didn't seem to have a hell of a lot of pride last night."

Vincent shook his hair out, eyes flashing.

"If I breached any bedroom etiquette, forgive me," Vincent purred, "This is clearly not my usual behaviour, unlike some."

Reno smirked, and threw himself down on the bed, legs flailing. He failed to notice Cupcake's annoyed whined at being woken so rudely from her slumber.

"Oh," he laughed, "so _that's _why you writhed and moaned like a whore?"

He then proceeded to do just that, in cruel parody. Vincent was enraged, and unfortunately, a little aroused.

"You _would_ know how whores behave, Reno."

Reno stopped his imitation and leapt to his feet, glaring at Vincent.

"And I'm not discussing it anymore." Vincent said firmly, putting his hand up.

Reno strode up to Vincent, coming to within an inch of his face.

"No," He hissed, "you don't get to just stop this, Mr Valentine. I wasn't the only person involved last night, you were there too, remember?"

Vincent stared.

"This is the grown-up world," Reno continued, "you can't just wash your goddamn hands of decisions you make. If you wish you hadn't done it, don't just fucking ignore it and hope it'll go away. Tell me it was a mistake, tell me you don't want it to happen again. Tell me you're _sorry_. Just take some fucking responsibility."

Vincent was shocked. Reno was lecturing _him_ on being a grownup?

Vincent looked Reno dead in the eye.

"It was a mistake," he intoned, "it won't happen again. I'm sorry."

With that, Vincent turned on his heel and left the room.

Reno shook his head, and went to the window. He watched Vincent leave the house and walk into town. He looked agitated.

"I don't think you mean it," Reno muttered, "but thanks. It's easier now."

Reno showered and dressed, feeling grim. He wished things hadn't turned out like this.

Brushing his hair, Reno reflected on the night before. He could remember dreaming of his childhood, and vaguely, talking to Vincent about it. He had told him he'd buy him oranges. And take him to meet Neya.

Reno smiled a little, then sighed. He didn't want to be on bad terms with Vincent. What had happened last night was obviously a mistake, if it ended like this. Reno would love to do it again, and he was sure Vincent would too, but he believed the man when he said it wouldn't happen again.

Reno didn't like to think that he'd traded sex for the end of their friendship. He would much rather have never had that experience than having it and losing his friendship with Vincent. Reno was still angry, but he didn't want to be. He couldn't make Vincent love him. He could make amends, though.

Making his decision, Reno finished his hair and headed downstairs. He encountered Tifa in the hall.

"Reno," she said, rubbing her eyes, "how are you feeling?"

"Fine," Reno replied, "I'm going to the market, d'you need anything."

Tifa shook her head, patted Reno on the shoulder, and continued to the bathroom.

Reno left the house, and slitted his eyes against the sun. He hadn't been out recently, and the breeze was welcome. Reno revelled in it all the way to the market.

It was still early, so the market wasn't yet thronging with people. Reno wandered around at his leisure, inspecting stalls and exchanging pleasantries with their owners. He found what he was looking for, and wandered round a little more.

Eventually it got busy, and Reno began to tire of the small children running around and knocking into his legs. He decided to head back through the winding streets of Midgar.

He encountered Vincent along the way.

Vincent carried a brown paper bag, like Reno's, so he had obviously just come from the market. Reno hesitated, and then broke into a jog to catch up. He walked at Vincent's side for a few paces.

Vincent ignored Reno's presence until Reno caught his sleeve and pulled him to a halt.

"Hey," He said, "I didn't mean to call you a whore."

Vincent only blinked.

"Anyway," Reno continued, opening the paper back and holding it out for Vincent's inspection, "I said I'd get you these, so I did."

Vincent looked into the bag.

"Oranges."

Reno grinned. Vincent's lips twitched, and he held out his own bag to Reno. Reno looked inside.

"Eggs?"

Vincent nodded.

"You can't make cupcakes without them." He said.

Vincent smiled and began walking again, Reno at his side, silent for a while.

"You know," Reno broke the silence, "I've had to say those things before. That it was a mistake, and all that."

Vincent looked at Reno out of the corner of his eye.

"Did you mean it?"

"Yeah," Reno nodded, "so I said it. There was no point dancing around it, and letting them expect something I wasn't going to give them. That would have been too nasty."

Vincent was silent for several paces, then he spoke as if he hadn't meant to.

"I do take responsibility. For everything."

Reno laughed gently.

"That's no good, Vincent," he said, "that's not really taking responsibility for your part. You're just looking for reasons to guilt yourself, not actually understanding what you did wrong. It's a cop-out."

Vincent shook his head.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Reno."

"I don't know everything, I get that," sighed Reno, "but I'm an adult, you know. Actually, I get the feeling I'm older than you."

Reno smiled at Vincent. Vincent smiled too, but for a different reason.

"Look," Reno continued, "you don't have to take all the blame for me. I can handle shit, ok?"

"I'm sure you can, Reno."

They had reached the house. Reno turned to Vincent as he opened the door.

"Good," he grinned, "now show me how to make cupcakes."

* * *

Tifa nearly screamed when she entered the kitchen. There was flour all over the counter, and the floor. Three of the best baking trays lay scattered across the stovetop. There were spots of something bright orange on the wall.

Tifa immediately rounded on Vincent and Reno, the latter already holding up a plate of festive looking cupcakes.

"Hey, Tifa," Reno beamed, "want a cupcake?"

Tifa glared at the little cakes. They had orange icing.

"Would you two like to explain how my kitchen got into this state?" she seethed, "I make dinner every night, with little to no mess! It's not even ten yet, and I have to walk into this! There's _icing_ on the _wall_! Even Rude doesn't make this much mess!"

Vincent tried to smooth things over.

"We had a little cooking lesson, Tifa. I assure you we will clean up after ourselves."

"Damn right, you will!" Tifa snapped, "If you leave this kitchen anything less than spotless, I'll leave _you_ in charge of the cooking from now on, Vincent."

Reno snickered.

"And _you'll_ be doing the dishes from now on!" Tifa raged.

Reno closed his mouth with a snap.

Tifa snatched a cupcake from the plate Reno was still holding.

"Give me one of those!"

Vincent and Reno watched her take an aggressive bite, turn on her slippered heel, and storm out.

Vincent looked shellshocked. Reno was still staring at the door.

"Shit," Reno said, "she is gonna be _pissed_ when she bites into that."

"Why?" Vincent eyed Reno.

"Because that's one of the ones I put salt in by accident." Reno grinned.

Vincent shook his head, and stacked the baking trays.

"Hey," Reno blurted, "how does she know how much mess Rude makes when he cooks?"

Vincent was busying himself with the dishes.

"Tifa has had a few meals at your home recently."

Reno looked sneaky, and sidled up next to Vincent, seizing a dishtowel.

"Candlelit dinners?"

Vincent declined to answer, it wasn't his place. It was too late, however. Reno had already jumped to the right conclusions.

"Breakfast, maybe?" Reno threw his head back and laughed, "It's so fucking obvious now! Oh, Rude, you lucky bastard."

Vincent looked at Reno, an eyebrow raised.

"What?" Reno grinned, "I could do nasty things to that woman."

Vincent didn't like to hear Tifa spoken about that way. He also felt a tiny pang of jealousy.

"I was under the impression you didn't like women, Reno."

"Oh no," Reno replied, taking the dish Vincent handed him, "I really like women. Just not enough to jump in the sack with one. I like to look at boobs as much as the next man, just not too interested in touching them."

Vincent could not have understood that when he was younger, but he could now. He did feel that his reasons were different from Reno's though.

"You've always felt this way?" Vincent queried.

"Hell no," Reno laughed again, "not until I realised that you _could _do it with guys. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Did you always like men?"

Vincent hedged.

"What makes you think I like men?"

It was a stupid question, Vincent realised that the moment the words left his mouth. Reno looked at him incredulously.

"I don't know," he said sarcastically, "maybe because last night ––"

"Yes, thank you, Reno," Vincent hurried, "I remember."

Reno laughed and shook his head, taking the plate that Vincent passed him.

"And people think _I_ don't think before I speak." Reno chuckled, "So do you like women then?"

Vincent scrubbed the baking tray unnecessarily hard.

"I have never devoted that much time to thinking about it."

"It?"

"Yes," Vincent scowled, "_it._"

"If I didn't know what I know now I'd say you had some equipment missing," Reno teased.

"I'm made like other people, Reno." Vincent passed the last dish, "but there are more important things in life."

Reno hastily dried off the plate and threw his towel on the bench.

"Don't get all high and mighty on me, Valentine," Reno flapped a hand at Vincent, "I know there's more important things, but that don't mean the other stuff's no fun. It's usually more fun."

Vincent made no comment. He flicked the switch on the kettle and readied two cups.

"And," Reno continued as he fetched the milk, "I know last night wasn't a first for you, and I know you like it as much as anyone else."

Vincent took the proffered milk and turned his back on Reno.

"There are always consequences, Reno."

"Yeah, well," Reno said, "Whoever you fucked before, that was doomed from the start. Even if you didn't do it with 'em it woulda ended up the same, I don't know why you think sex screwed everything up. You're a fucking weirdo, Valentine. I wish I knew you before you got all spooky. But then," Reno flung an arm over Vincent's shoulder and kissed him noisily on the cheek, "I still like you now."

Vincent passed Reno his coffee, and was seized with a sudden desire to throw the redhead on the kitchen table and tear his clothes off. Then Reno spilled coffee down his front and the urge was gone.

"Reno", Vincent passed the redhead a towel, "I don't know what I would have made of you then."

As lunchtime approached, Reno and Vincent decided to enjoy their cupcakes in the yard. They spread a blanket over the grass under Vincent's favourite tree and talked, throwing seed to the birds that crowded around, and occasionally a cupcake crumb.

"I've been painting." Reno commented as he held his hand out to a crow.

Vincent nodded. He knew Reno had found he enjoyed painting. Reno kept his paintings in a bundle under the bed, but Vincent had not looked at them, out of respect. He was curious as to what kinds of things Reno would paint, but he would wait until Reno showed him.

"You reckon you can get hold of a few more brushes for me?" Reno asked.

"Is there something wrong with the ones you have?" Vincent asked.

Reno shrugged. "Nope, just need some smaller ones. I keep trying to do little details and stuff, but these brushes smudge those bits everywhere."

Vincent reflected. "I'm sure I can find some."

"Thanks," Reno smiled.

They sat in silence a few moments longer, watching the birds enjoy their seed.

"Hey," Reno began, "when d'you wanna start off to Kalm?"

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'd take you to meet my sister, remember?"

"You say a lot of things, Reno." Vincent smiled.

Reno frowned, "I meant this, though. It's a good idea, why not?"

Vincent knitted his eyebrows together. "Do you know where she lives in Kalm?"

"Of course," Reno rolled his eyes, "she only reminds me every frigging time she writes. It's only like a four hour hike."

Vincent thought about it. A four hour walk. Vincent could get there a lot faster on his own, but he would never let Reno walk on his own. Vincent wasn't sure he was comfortable with that. His eyes wandered over to the spot where Fenrir stood, by the back porch.

Reno followed Vincent's gaze.

"It would be faster if we took that though," he said, "if Cloud said it was ok, right?"

Vincent shook his head.

"Even if Cloud would let us take it, we couldn't. It doesn't work."

Reno raised an eyebrow, "That thing's like Cloud's baby, what's wrong with it?"

"That's exactly the problem, Reno," Vincent frowned, "I don't know."

"Well," Reno shrugged, "We'll walk it then. Tomorrow morning?"

Vincent nodded, resigning himself.

"Great, that's settled then," Reno stretched and leaned back against the tree, "on an unrelated note, was that the first time you've been with a man?"

Vincent almost jumped at the question.

"That is unrelated," he said slowly, "why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Reno picked at another cupcake, "you know plenty about me. So?"

Vincent busied himself with a cupcake he didn't really want, not looking at Reno.

"No."

Reno's eyebrows shot up.

"Really? Who else?"

Vincent scowled.

"Sorry," Reno coloured, "that sounded bad. Who was he?"

Vincent bit his lip a little uncharacteristically, and his eyes darted to Fenrir.

Reno followed his gaze once more, waiting.

Suddenly, it dawned on him.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," he muttered.

Vincent sighed, as Reno leapt to his feet and rounded on him.

"Cloud?" He demanded. Vincent didn't answer.

"Cloud!" Reno exploded, "are you crazy? Cloud! What, did you climb in his bed in the middle of the night, too?"

Vincent raised a hand to his forehead, wishing he'd lied.

"Ok," Reno spoke slowly, "Tell me. Tell me how in the blue _fuck_ you ended up fucking _Cloud_."

Vincent flinched internally. He was accustomed to Reno's crudeness, but that was going a little too far.

"I won't tell you anything if you can't remember your manners, Reno."

Reno scowled and leaned against the tree, crossing his arms.

Vincent didn't really want to discuss this, it was a horrible memory, and part of the reason he wasn't comfortable with sexual situations. Unfortunately, he knew Reno would be impossible until he got the whole story, so Vincent decided to bite the bullet and tell him. After all, he didn't have to go into detail. He'd explain the circumstances, and let Reno use his imagination.

"Cloud hadn't had the time for Tifa until after she lost her interest in him," Vincent began, "It was unfortunate timing. Just as Tifa had seemingly decided against pursuing him, Cloud suddenly became infatuated with her. Nanaki seemed to find it very amusing, however Cloud became impossible. He began spending his evenings at the Seventh Heaven, and behaving ridiculously."

Reno rolled his eyes.

"He would remain at the bar all night, trying to talk to Tifa, and drinking heavily. Tifa is continually busy, as you know, so she was unable to spend much time talking to Cloud. Hence, Cloud would drink himself into a foul temper. There were several occasions when he came home intoxicated and melancholy. On these occasions, he would inevitably blunder into my bedroom."

Reno remembered the time he had almost walked into Vincent's room uninvited, and hissed with jealousy.

"He became poetic and lovelorn, as the drunk often do. It was quite a trial to me, as you can imagine."

Reno struggled visibly, then burst out, "So you thought you'd comfort him, did you? Or did you get sucked in with all his gooey love shit?"

Vincent frowned.

"Neither," He said slowly, "I drank."

Reno's eyes widened.

"How much?" He demanded.

"Enough," Vincent replied, "Cloud was very pressing, and I had had little sleep with these night time visits. My resolve wavered."

"And?"

"And it happened."

Reno threw his hands up, "_What_ happened?" He raged, "what did you do? Tell me!"

Vincent got to his feet as well.

"I'm not going to furnish you with details, Reno," Vincent said coldly, "After all, it is certainly not your business, and I had no obligation to tell you anything about it. I don't ask you for details about your past sexual experiences."

Reno glared.

"That blonde slut muscles his way in on everything!" Reno punched a tree in frustration, "I wouldn't even want him touching Tifa, he's a pussy-assed piece of shit! And now I find out you've touched him like you've touched me!"

Vincent's mind flashed back to that night. The blind rage, the brutality of it all.

"I didn't touch him like I touched you," Vincent said quietly, "and it was nothing like last night. I promise."

Reno stared at Vincent, nostrils flared. There was silence for a moment.

"I don't want him taking something I care about away again." Reno kicked a rock, "He took Dark Nation away. He was Rufus', but he was ours too. We loved that big lump"

Vincent peered curiously at Reno.

"Then he took Shinra away from me. I know better now, but I really believed in Shinra back then, ya know? It was Cloud's fault."

Reno stared hard at Vincent.

"I'll kill him if he tries to take you away too."

Vincent sighed once more.

"Don't upset yourself, Reno," Vincent was exasperated, "It happened a long time ago. Aside from that, have you not noticed that Cloud is never here? He stays at the orphanage most of the time. He doesn't want to come near me after that, and he avoids Tifa."

Reno eyed Vincent warily, then gave a tiny smile.

"Eh, well," He chuckled, "Who'd pick Cloud over me, anyway? And now you're thinking I'm all neurotic and shit over him. I'm not, I just hate that fucker."

Vincent gave a half smile.

"Can we leave it now?" He asked.

Reno reflected.

"Ok," He replied, "I just want to do one thing."

Vincent raised an eyebrow as Reno strode over the place where Fenrir stood, leapt through the air, kicked it, and sent it crashing to the ground.

For a split second, Vincent was outraged. He had already experienced enough headaches over that machine, the last thing he needed was Reno causing it more damage.

But Fenrir, lying on the ground, suddenly roared to life.

With as much dignity as he could muster, Vincent turned his dull eyes from the idling machine on the ground to Reno. "You're an asshole," he stated and walked into the house, leaving Reno to stare after him.

Vincent didn't care that he had lowered himself slightly to Reno's standard and sworn at the redhead. It pissed him off that Reno, in an almost fit of rage, attacked the vehicle and fixed whatever the hell was wrong with it. Vincent didn't even know how it was possible as the key wasn't in the ignition. He assumed that Reno worked in mysterious ways. At least that was one thing that Cloud could stop moping about.

Vincent could hear Reno behind him. "We're still on for tomorrow even though I fixed your problem, right?"

"Of course, Reno. I'm not petty and I apologize for calling you an asshole."

Reno shrugged. "I've been called much worse."

Vincent paused and glanced at Reno. "We need to tell Tifa that we're heading off in the morning. I also need to collect the items from our little picnic, find a way of turning off Fenrir and you should find a way to get to sleep early tonight with all that coffee in your system. A way that doesn't involve tiring yourself out on me," he added when Reno's eyes lit up in a suggestive manner.

The redhead sighed but nodded. "I'm sure there's a way to do it. What time did you want to head off?" he asked as Vincent headed back to the tree.

"At an hour I'm sure you don't know exists," he called gently with a wave of his hand.

~ * ~  
End Chapter XX.


	21. Now, Tomorrow, Always XXI

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and LunarPlexus.

* * *

Reno threw his head back and groaned into the sky. The sun had been up for hours, and it was getting warm.

Vincent could have easily teleported them both to Kalm, but as far as he was concerned, that particular talent was no excuse for laziness. He had also flatly refused to hijack Fenrir, despite Reno's reasoned argument that since they had fixed 'Slut Pants' bike, he should be only too happy to let them use it. Vincent had gracefully ignored Reno's new name for Cloud. He had been using it to refer to the blonde all morning, along with the coercion that had failed miserably. Vincent would not take Fenrir without Cloud's permission.

So, at four o'clock, Vincent had nudged Reno awake, and met with much profanity, discontent, and outright mutiny. He had found himself in the position where he had to seize Reno by the ankle and drag him out of bed and into the bathroom. The whole business had left Vincent thoroughly harassed and irritable, but nevertheless, they were prepared, and on their way in due time.

It was late morning now, and they were halfway there. Reno had been quiet and sullen for the first hour or two, and then the humming started. Reno had a good ear for music, and the first renditions of the simple tune were quite pleasant to Vincent. After seven hundred or so repetitions, Vincent had well and truly tired with it. That combined with the mood Reno had already put him in, made for what Reno called a 'crabby' Vincent.

Reno's problem seemed to be boredom thus far. He frequently groaned, sighed, moaned, and hissed. Vincent's mood had made him less inclined to talk, so Reno had begun attempting to rouse him.

"So," Reno said, "what do you think Slut Pants is doing today?"

Vincent gritted his teeth, and didn't reply.

"Or," Reno laughed nastily, "_who_ do you think he's doing today?"

It was clearly going to take Reno some time to get over it.

The flat green land stretched out around the two as far as they could see. Vincent would have enjoyed this walk at any other time. The little speck of Kalm had slowly become visible in the distance, and Vincent could not have been more grateful. He wanted to teleport right away from Reno at this point.

"She's going to yak my ear off when we get there," Reno muttered, "don't listen to any stories she tells you about me."

Vincent had to smile inside.

"Are you worried Neya will embarrass you, Reno?"

Reno fished a cigarette out of his pocket.

"Damn right she will," He growled, "she knows a lot of stuff about me, and she's got no shame. She thinks it's hilarious to tell people that I like boys."

"But you do."

"Yeah, but she doesn't have to act like it's big news!" Reno drew heavily on his cigarette, "And she's going to make a big fuss over you, too."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, "In what way?"

Reno flicked his ponytail over his shoulder, "She's like Tifa. She likes feeding people and asking them all about their lives and stuff."

Vincent smiled.

"Fuck it's hot!" Reno crushed his cigarette under his heel, "My feet are killing me too."

By the time Kalm was fully distinguishable, Reno had taken his shirt off and tied it around his hips, and let his hair down.

He had stopped attempting to bait Vincent, and had spent the last hour or so muttering to himself and chain-smoking. Vincent had been quite happy for things to continue this way, but Reno suddenly piped up.

"That's it," He growled, "it's fucking hot, and my feet are going to fall off. We're stopping for a minute, and I don't care what you say!"

Vincent rolled his eyes.

"If you wanted to stop, you could have said so," Vincent sighed, "I'm not stopping you."

"Yeah, well," Reno shook his long hair out, "good."

He flopped down onto the grass and stretched out. His pants were very low cut, another inch and his pubic hair would have been exposed. Vincent was a little outraged by those pants, but he couldn't help staring out of the corner of his eye at Reno's long hipbones and toned stomach.

"You should have worn more comfortable shoes, Reno." Vincent gestured to the pointed things on Reno's feet.

"Hell no," Reno closed his eyes, "I'm visiting my sister, I have to look good."

Vincent rolled his eyes once more.

"Why don't you simply take them off? You can put them back on when we arrive."

"Good idea," he said, "wish I thought of that."

Vincent didn't want to slow up their progress, but he thought it was best to let Reno sit down for a while. Vincent sat down on the soft grass next to Reno and pulled a water flask from his cape. They shared it between them for a few moments.

"How much longer, d'you reckon?" Reno asked.

"If we don't stop for long," Vincent reflected on the distant town of Kalm, "we should arrive in two hours."

Reno stretched his legs out in front of him, "Ugh," he groaned, "I'll die on the way."

Vincent sighed impatiently and got to his feet.

"If you do," he seized Reno by the wrists and pulled him to his feet, "I'll be sure to let your sister know."

Reno shot Vincent a mock glare of indecency, not doubting for a moment that Vincent would inform his sister. He sighed and toed his shoes off, picking them up. He had no idea how his feet would feel once they got into Kalm and he put the shoes back on but that was a bridge he would have to cross, when they came to it.

As they walked in silence, Vincent let his mind wander to what Neya would be like. He didn't have too much to go on when it came to Reno's description of her. She was a lovely lady, who was much like Tifa; she enjoyed fattening her guests up, and informing everyone that her little brother was into men.

Vincent glanced at the redhead. Reno had a serious expression on his face and didn't seem to be in their current plain of existence. It was a look that Vincent rarely saw on the Turk's face. It shocked the Chaos host a little but he knew that while Reno enjoyed playing the clown, he was an adult and did think about topics that required his full attention.

Kalm was slowly growing closer. Reno lowered his head as he lit a cigarette. He stared at the ground, the smoke hanging lazily from his lips. Vincent stared ahead. It seemed that whatever Reno was thinking about, it didn't concern him. The air between them was comfortable, as it had been for quite some time.

Vincent looked at Reno sidelong. He wasn't sure when he started enjoying Reno's company – and the scene that happened between yesterday seemed so long ago – but he found himself wondering. What if he didn't continually shun people from his life? What if he opened himself up a little? What if…?

Vincent couldn't help hating Reno for even planting these troublesome seeds in his mind. "What if's" were futile and dangerous.

Vincent raised his eyes to the sky. He knew what would happen if he stopped being the way he was. Chaos would reign supreme. This may not be perfect, but it was a fair exchange. Reno had introduced some discontent into Vincent's life, which he hadn't thus far been able to lock away.

Vincent knew he was human, and from time to time he indulged in "What if's", but he had always been able to shut them down before they stirred things up that shouldn't be stirred. Unfortunately, Reno's mere presence in Vincent's life was a continual suggestion, independent of Vincent's control. It seemed that his involvement with Reno was a trade off, too. Vincent wasn't willing to banish Reno from his world, but the price he had to pay was an ongoing battle with an ever-increasing discontent.

Vincent was edgy. These things had been lurking somewhere deep in his mind for a long time, remaining unspoken even inside his own head. After what had happened with Reno the other night, he didn't seem able to shoo these thoughts away, and Vincent feared that he may begin saying them aloud.

The thought occurred that speaking these things may not necessarily mean the Armageddon Vincent had always feared. That perhaps it would be a step into a different kind of sphere, one as of yet unexplored and unknown to him. Indeed, it could be the beginning of something easier, a life in which one was free to speak, and free to love.

With that thought, Vincent chastised himself, and immediately withdrew. He was aware of how insane that sounded and was grateful that he had such immense control of himself. He knew that if he spoke anything he was thinking aloud, Reno would think he was insane and possibly attack him. It wasn't 'him'.

Vincent glanced at Reno and restrained himself from shaking his head. He didn't know what he wanted or needed. Reno had done more. He had forced Vincent to look inside himself and wonder what everything was. In a way, Reno was responsible for all the troubling thoughts. Vincent would never say that and he wasn't sure why he was thinking it. Perhaps it was easier to blame someone.

Vincent shook his head a little. Whatever it was he wanted, or needed…well, that was irrelevant. His wants and needs had a huge capacity to cause disaster. They should never be indulged. He knew that Reno would understand to some degree, but would eventually have to know the entire story. Something that Vincent wasn't willing, in the slightest, to share.

As much as he didn't want to, Vincent enjoyed hiding behind that excuse. It wasn't an excuse, in the same sense, it was his reasoning behind protecting people. Reno probably wouldn't see it that way. On the other hand, the redhead wore his heart on his sleeve. He was more likely to attempt to slap Vincent out of his way of thinking. Of course, it would probably change when Chaos came out and killed him.

Vincent closed his eyes as a cool breeze swept past them. He was tempted to take his cape off for rest of their journey. Cigarette smoke and the salt of the ocean invaded his nose. Vincent looked at Reno and came to realize they had stopped walking. They were enjoying the zephyr. Vincent returned his eyes to the city. They had at the minimum of an hour to go.

Vincent looked at his shoulder when he felt a pressure on it. Inwardly, he raised an eyebrow as he saw Reno's head resting there. "Thank you," Reno murmured.

Vincent let a vague smile pull up the corners of his lips. He kind of knew what this meant to Reno, after not seeing his sister in so long. He was honored to be with the other man as some form of support. Though, Vincent really had no idea what he could do that Reno couldn't do on his own.

"You're welcome," Vincent said levelly as they began their stroll once more.

* * *

"That was so awesome!" Reno declared as he and Vincent left Kalm.

It had been an enjoyable few hours for the redhead. He brought certain sections of the conversation between him and his sister up. He didn't seem to really notice that Vincent wasn't fully with him. The raven haired man was off in his own world, half listening to Reno's excitable rants.

The experience hadn't been what Vincent was expecting. On the other hand, he didn't really know what to expect from meeting Neya. She was everything that Reno had said she would be. She was very warm and tender, but had an iron fist when it was needed. She had almost interrogated Vincent once she got over the formalities of meeting him for the first time. In a lot of ways, it was easy to see that Reno and Neya were related.

Vincent wasn't sure what it was about the meeting that made him close off. That was a complete lie. He knew exactly what it was and he didn't want to think about it. At the same time, it was glaring at him from inside his head. The more he tried not to think about, the harder it pushed to be thought about. Reno's babbling wasn't making things any easier.

"I _told_ you she'd tell you I'm into guys! What did I say? I did say it."

"Yes, you did," Vincent answered robotically.

Reno glanced at Vincent and raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

Vincent blinked. He gave Reno a reassuring smile, making sure it reached his eyes. He didn't want Reno to think he didn't enjoy the visit; he had. In fact, at some point, Vincent wouldn't mind going back. Neya was lovely, and so were the twin children of hers. The little demon spawns as Neya and Reno affectionately referred to them as. The twin girls were around Marlene's age and just as devious.

"No, Reno. Everything is fine."

Reno narrowed his eyes. Something was telling him that Vincent was bluffing, but he had nothing to base that assumption on. Other than the fact that it _was_ Vincent and that should have been his first clue. "Right, well, anyway. I don't think that I warned you about her children…" And off he went again.

Vincent lost himself in his thoughts, once more. There were moments in his life – they were few and very far apart – but they occurred. Vincent questioned what he was so scared about when it came to the thought of a family. Every time that came to the surface, he did the same thing time and time again. He looked down at his claw.

The gold metal glinted in the late afternoon sun. Neya hadn't wanted them to leave and Reno didn't seem ready to leave. Vincent wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. He didn't make it obviously noticeable. He thanked his lucky stars that Reno noticed there wouldn't be anywhere for them to sleep, except the sofa, which looked as though it could fit him and Vincent perfectly, if he were between Vincent's legs.

Reno suddenly laughed. "I'm still pretty sure we could have both fit on the couch."

Vincent's eyes widened a fraction. He started to wonder if Reno was tapped into his mind. He snuck a look at the Turk. Reno pulled his cigarettes out. Neya didn't allow smoking in her house and Reno didn't want to drag them all outside or stand out there alone, so he opted for not smoking.

"The look on her face was fucking priceless! She couldn't believe I banged you. Of course she knew. Lot of faith she's got in me. The way she said it made me sound like I was some sort of Elephant Man." Reno shook his head as he expelled smoke from his mouth. "I'm not that bad looking, am I?"

"Yes, you did," Vincent responded absently.

Reno stopped walking and glared at Vincent. "You're not even listening to me!"

Vincent paused and looked over his shoulder. "Reno, you are explaining a conversation that I was a part of."

Reno scowled. "If you were listening, you mighta noticed that I asked a question. What's up with you? I kinda thought you might be different after meeting my sister."

"Why would I do that?"

Reno shrugged and threw his cigarette to the ground, crushing it with the toe of his shoe. "You just got to meet my only family, you could probably care just a _little _bit more."

Vincent turned to Reno. He shook his head. He hadn't even thought of it in that light. "I do apologize, Reno. Unfortunately, my mind seems to be wandering a great deal, at the moment."

"You're not sick, are ya? I kinda don't wanna catch anything. I mean, I have just gotten over that infection and not to mention that beating. Thank anything holy that you didn't mention that to Neya!"

And as though he had forgotten why he stopped in the first place, Reno started walking again and rambling on about what Neya would have done if she had known what happened three weeks ago. Vincent followed a pace behind the chattering redhead. He decided it would be best if he paid a little more attention. He didn't want Reno to get more suspicious.

Vincent watched back of Reno's head. His ponytail swayed as his head moved. He was speaking a great deal with his hands and, even though he couldn't really hear what Reno was saying, Vincent knew he had a serene look in his eyes. A look that Vincent was growing accustomed to on Reno's face. A look that reminded Vincent of those moments of almost isolation with Lucrecia.

"I can't believe how quiet you were! Do you have _any_ idea how much you could've embarrassed me? Neya woulda lapped it up! I know, I know." Reno held his hands up as though he was surrendering to Vincent. "You're not into that sort of thing."

Reno thought back to Vincent and his arrival. Neya had spotted them coming and rushed out to meet them. Reno had been shocked at how little she had changed. She still had red hair down to her knees, that old family trait. She had squealed like a child and thrown herself at him, and Reno had struggled to breathe for a moment.

"_Don't you _ever _make me wait this long to see you again!"_

Reno had blushed like a fool, mostly because Vincent was watching.

Neya had taken a real shine to Vincent, and made no secret of it. She already had a set table ready when they entered the house together, and her two little girls were busy swiping cookies off the top of the stove.

Reno had been a little awkward when he said hello to Lily and Ivy, simply because he hadn't seen them in so long. The awkwardness vanished quickly however, when the two little girls had launched themselves at him and offered him their cookies. They had "helped Mummy make them 'specially for him!"

Lunch had been cheerful, and Vincent seemed more at ease than Reno had hoped. He had even played with the children while Reno helped Neya with the dishes. Neya had smiled over her shoulder at Vincent and dug her elbow into Reno's side.

"_How on earth did _you _pick up someone like him?"_

Reno smiled back, and poked Neya in the ribs.

"_Probably the same way you caught that husband."_

Neya had laughed, and apologised once again for her husband's absence. He worked almost constantly, so it wasn't possible for him to be there for the visit. It was clear however, that this arrangement didn't make him a stranger to his children. Reno learned quite a lot about the man from the children's constant ramblings about "Daddy". Reno approved.

Reno glanced over at Vincent. "It must be nice to be with the same person all the time, you think?"

Vincent lowered his eyes to the green grass. Winter was on the way and an image flashed into his mind. It was an image of a snowy night; he and Reno were in his bed, holding each other after a night filled with passionate lust. Vincent physically shook his head. He knew for a fact that he never would have had had a thought like if the other night hadn't come about.

Vincent smiled elusively. He doubted it was because of that night. He thought back to when Tifa yelled at him and told him that Reno was 'teaching him'. Maybe it would have happened, eventually. He would never know. There wasn't any known way of going back in time to see how things would have turned out if the other night didn't happen.

"She really likes you," Reno stated randomly.

Vincent raised his eyes and saw that Reno was walking beside him. The sun had nearly sunk behind the horizon and they were a little over half way back to Midgar. "I like her, also."

Reno smiled. It was almost as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Good. If not, I woulda locked the two of ya in a room together until you did like each other."

"She is a lovely woman, Reno. You really should visit her more often."

Reno exhaled a mixture of a sigh and a groan. "Don't you start with that shit, too," he beseeched. "I can hear her voice in my head every time I read one of her letters. This high pitched, nasal, whining screech that would take a cat out of heat."

Vincent's eyes were drawn back to Reno's hair. It looked like fire in the orangey glow of the sun. He reached out with his claw and let the strands slip through the metallic fingers. "I believe that would be your conscience telling you that you do not see her as much as you should. I think your nieces would be happier if you were around more."

Reno raised an eyebrow as a smirk settled over his face. "Listen to you," he practically sang out. "You sound like you're ready for your own demon spawn running around Tifa's house."

"The two that already live there are more than enough." Vincent placed a hand on Reno's shoulder. "Also, it is impossible for either of us to conceive a child."

Reno lowered his eyes. He appeared to be lost in thought and Vincent took that as a good sign. He knew that Reno was running something through his crazy mind. Something that would most likely leave Vincent feeling like a jerk. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. It seemed that every time something good happened, it was always ruined with a fight because Vincent refused to believe what Reno was saying.

"Forget the kids, you're talking like we're a couple."

Vincent stopped dead. Reno continued on for a few more paces before he realized that Vincent wasn't by his side. Vincent stared off into the distance. How in the world had Reno come to that conclusion? Vincent replayed their conversation and came to see how it could be taken that way. He hadn't meant to give Reno the wrong idea.

Vincent took a few moments to answer. He wasn't sure how he would normally react to a statement like that. "Only in your dreams, Reno."

"That's probably true. You don't bitch as much in real life when I've got you pinned to the bed," Reno said with a shrug and began walking.

Vincent kept a growl and his anger under control. He was almost fully tempted to unleash Chaos on the nonchalant and cocky redhead. He wasn't going to, as that would be a complete overreaction. Sometimes, Reno had no idea how lucky he was.

"That's rich, coming from someone who could barely remember it the next day."

Vincent winced at his own words. They were completely out of character for him. It was as though he was looking for a reason to get into a fight with Reno. He knew it was coming. It had been coming. The day had been too good to not be ruined by their loving hatred.

"Hey!" Reno glared at Vincent, "You're making it sound like I was tanked! I had a fucking _fever_! You were just fine, fine enough to jump my poor, defenceless bones, you perv!"

Vincent responded to the glare with apathy. "You can't hide behind the fever forever. And if I recall correctly, you were the one that chased me half way around the city, wanting to 'jump my bones'. You can't say that what I did wasn't beneficial."

"Pfft," Reno tossed his hair back, "yeah, I did chase you around, wanting to jump your bones. And I got to, Mr Tight-as-a-Virgin, so I fucking won."

Vincent did something he rarely did. "At least I can name all the partners I have been with on one hand. I doubt you could recall half of their names."

"Yeah, right," Reno sneered. "You can remember them because you're still shacking up with one, not counting Slut Pants, and I'm guessing the rest are imaginary."

"According to the last update, you are living with me. And even if my partners were imaginary, at least I didn't claim to have them when it was only my hand. And while Cloud may have been drunk, I still found him more satisfying."

As Vincent waited for Reno's rebuttal, he noticed the redhead's eyes die. They glazed over and Vincent got the feeling he may have broken Reno in some way. That thought soon changed as a fire exploded into the teal orbs and Vincent found himself flat on his back. In the same instant, Reno managed to land two painful blows on his face. Vincent's lip split and that was as far as Vincent was willing to let it go.

Vincent teleported out from under the enraged Reno and stood above him. He pressed a knee between Reno's shoulders and took hold of the ponytail in his hand, ripping the head back with a force. He gripped the skull and slammed Reno's face into the earth.

Vincent wrapped Reno's long hair around his hand and yanked his head back again. Vincent lowered his mouth to Reno's neck, a twisted smirk reflecting in his gold eyes, Chaos peering out. He pulled back his lips and ran his teeth over the soft skin before sinking them in.

Acknowledging his actions for a second, Vincent found himself hovering in a dangerous place. The little gray space between anger and Chaos, and he didn't care.

Vincent withdrew his teeth as Reno growled; a deep, guttural noise in the back of his throat. Vincent watched as a single drop of blood ran down Reno's pale flesh.

Vincent placed his lips at Reno's ear. "Don't forget that you belong to me," he said, his voice distorted slightly.

Reno turned his head as much as he could. "Prove it." He hissed.

Vincent tightened his grip on Reno's hair.

"Do it!"

Vincent applied more pressure with his knee and dropped Reno's head. He undid his claw and placed it out of the way. He moved his knee and flipped Reno over, crushing their lips together. He bit Reno's lower lip and snaked his tongue into the mouth. Blood and soil mixed in with the natural taste of Reno and Vincent was loving every second of it.

As he kissed Reno, his hands quickly undid the redhead's pants, pushing them down. He tore open the shirt and pushed it back. Vincent's nails were more like claws as he dragged them down Reno's torso, light red lines appearing in their wake.

Reno's hands moved everywhere they could reach. He had been out of it the other night, but this time he was going to make sure he remembered the feel of Vincent's body. Nimble fingers unbuckled the cape and it fell to the earth. They moved to the buckles on the shirt and suddenly Vincent pulled back. Palms were pressed into Reno's shoulders as Vincent got to his feet.

Vincent placed a boot on Reno's throat, not applying too much pressure as he knew it would be messy, but enough to make it difficult for Reno to breathe properly. He glared down at Reno as he took his time taking his shirt off. It slid from his arms and Vincent decided it was time that Reno lost his pants. Shoes were removed and the pants were pulled off, none too gently.

Vincent ran his eyes over Reno's body, taking in as much detail as he could. He wasn't going to spend too much time thinking about how beautiful it was, considering he had more important things to do. Having Reno moaning and writhing beneath took top priority at that moment. With a smirk, Vincent toed his boots off and undid the button on his pants. With his feet, he pushed Reno's legs apart.

Vincent wasn't going to be tender, as he knew that wasn't what Reno wanted and it wasn't what he wanted. He was going to make sure both Kalm and Midgar knew who Reno belonged to. There wasn't going to be anything loving about it. They both knew that at that point, it was purely about dominance. Reno didn't think that Vincent would go all the way and Vincent was looking forward to proving him wrong.

Vincent settled himself between slender legs and gripped Reno's obvious excitement. He ran his hand up and down the length roughly a few times. Reno tensed at the sudden pleasure and smirked back at Vincent. Another challenge. Vincent wasn't sure if these challenges actually existed. He wasn't going to argue with them, though. Not in his current state of mind. He had one thing on his mind: ownership.

Vincent kept his slow pace with his hand as he lent forward and licked Reno's cheek. He could feel his own need pressing against its leather prison. Reno could feel it against his hip and couldn't fully remember if he had touched that place on Vincent. He couldn't see himself doing that, even in the state he had been in. His hand found its way there and he pressed his palm to the bulge.

Vincent snarled and removed Reno's hand. "No."

"You don't own me, yet," Reno shot back with a glare of his own.

Vincent lent forward and smirked. His tightened his grip on Reno's cock. His spare hand went to Reno's throat. "Don't forget that I can rip it off."

Reno wanted to argue the point but decided that he wasn't going to push Vincent. Something in his strange eyes told the Turk that if he did, he might have to give serious consideration to changing his name to 'Rena'.

Vincent released Reno's length and undid his pants. He didn't remove his hand from Reno's throat. He quite liked having that sort of control over the redhead.

"You really think you've got it in you?" Reno sneered, "If you stop now, I'll kill you."

Vincent snickered darkly as the hand around Reno's throat tightened slightly. "_He_ does," Vincent murmured.

Vincent took hold of himself and directed his cock into Reno. The penetration was swift; in one fluid movement. Reno tensed slightly at the sudden intrusion and completely forgot about Vincent's words. He knew he was torn. There wasn't any doubt in his mind.

Vincent gave himself a few seconds to adjust to sudden encasement. He began rocking his hips, slowly at first. It took a few minutes before it got faster and a little rougher. He locked eyes with Reno, as his spare hand rested on the redhead's shoulder. His nails dug into the skin. Blood spotted around the wounds and Vincent smirked at the fluid.

Reno kept his eyes on Vincent. Something was telling him that Vincent seemed to know what he was doing. Reno naturally assumed that Vincent didn't have much experience in that area of life. It wasn't the first time that Vincent had surprised him, though.

Vincent chuckled. He had seen the slight shock in Reno's eyes. He was enjoying it more than he thought he would. His movements became harder, as did his hold around Reno's throat. It still wasn't enough to give him too hard a time with breathing. They were both panting heavily. A groan sounded through the night air and neither was sure which one made the noise.

Vincent suddenly let go of Reno's throat and gripped his shoulder. His head hung, his hair blocking Reno's view of his face. There was a heat on Vincent's back. It fuelled him more than he thought it would. He snarled as he slammed his cock into Reno. He heard a sharp intake from the redhead. Suddenly arms were around Vincent's shoulders and legs gripped his waist.

Vincent came to realize that his actions were animalistic. It was a pure desire to reach that point where nothing mattered anymore. It was almost hazardous, his need to make Reno arrive before he did. And it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. It was a primal urge to make Reno feel better than he would ever know. He was going to make sure that Reno didn't think of anyone else. He would fuck Reno into forgetting about Slut Pants.

Vincent bit down on one of Reno's pale shoulders. He knew that Reno would have a scar there once the wound had healed. A strangled sound of pleasure escaped Reno's mouth. Vincent pulled back and watched the blood leak from the mark. He didn't want to stop there. He wanted to make sure there were scars where Reno could see them. Whenever Reno looked in the mirror, he would be reminded of this night.

Vincent looked at Reno's face. He couldn't scar and ruin something so perfect. Vincent's eyes flickered from gold to red for a second before returning to the unnatural yellow. His eyes lowered to Reno's throat. He could cut that up but there was the risk of killing the redhead.

Vincent slammed into Reno violently. Even during sex Reno was still being annoyingly difficult. It seemed that nothing was good enough. Another suppressed noise of pleasure came out and Vincent smirked. He would make Reno scream. Whether it was from pain or pleasure was entirely up the redhead. If he went along with it, it wouldn't be from pain.

Vincent lowered one of his hands to Reno's cock. He ran his fingertips lightly over the hypersensitive organ, smirking when Reno drew in a sharp breath. He did it again and received the same reaction. He wanted to hear Reno. Vincent refused to be the only one that would moan like a whore, as Reno had so beautifully phrased it. He wanted to know what Reno sounded like when he was in pleasure.

Vincent's head dipped again. Reno ran his fingers through the raven strands and gripped them at the back, forcing Vincent's head up. He wasn't going to let Vincent miss a second. He wanted the psycho's attention on him. He didn't want Vincent to get lost in thought and suddenly snap out of it.

Vincent growled pleasurably as the heat on his shoulders intensified. The animal urges got stronger and somewhere, in the darkest recess of his mind, Vincent was curious on how much rougher Reno's body could handle it. He pulled Reno's body closer to his as the heat vanished.

Vincent sat back on his knees and pulled up with him. He smirked as wings of purple-ish skin wrapped around Reno, holding the Turk closer. Reno moaned loudly and Vincent sighed in his ear. Reno moved with Vincent's thrusts. Reno stopped suddenly and his back arched, a pronounced 'fucking Vincent' pierced the cool air.

Vincent chortled in the back of his throat as he drew his claws along Reno's chest. They were almost identical to a set Vincent had on his chest. He assumed it would be a nice reminder as Vincent had no doubt that Reno enjoyed checking himself out. The redhead hissed at the sudden pain but didn't seem overly bothered by it.

Vincent's eyebrows drew in and his eyes closed. He gripped Reno's shoulders to breaking point as he came inside of Reno. He gritted his teeth and laid Reno on his back. He slowly withdrew and he looked up at the sky. He knew it was late; extremely late.

Vincent lowered his eyes to Reno. The wounds on his chest were still bleeding and there was dried blood, also from the neck wounds. Vincent couldn't help but smirk. People would probably think that Reno was mauled by a wild dog but Vincent would know the truth behind the soon-to-be scars.

Reno sat up and winced, rubbing his neck.

"Ugh," He rasped, "I'm usually the one on top, and I can tell you, that is _not _how you do it."

Vincent got to his feet and scavenged for their scattered clothing. Reno's shirt wasn't in very good shape, and a sock seemed to have completely vanished. He handed Reno his pants.

Reno dragged himself to his feet, grabbing Vincent's arm for support on the way up.

"You asshole," he scowled, "I almost feel like I did after I got bashed."

Vincent stared at his feet, while Reno hopped about, trying to get his pants on.

"Where's my shirt?" Reno demanded.

"You're wearing it." Vincent gestured towards Reno's midsection

Reno looked down at the stains.

"You're buying me a new one."

Reno looked around and located their water flask, not sure exactly at what point it had been discarded. Fortunately it was laying nearby. He hobbled off to retrieve it, while Vincent put on his shirt.

Reno returned, and offered the water to Vincent. He shook his head.

Reno got a good look at Vincent's face, and whistled through his teeth.

"Look at you, you're a fucking mess."

"You look worse than I do." Vincent replied.

Reno chuckled, "And whose fault is that?"

Vincent looked Reno up and down. He was tired.

"Shit happens."

Reno sighed and looked around.

"Listen," he said, "that was great and everything, but I'm pretty damn sore now. I don't really wanna try dragging my ass all the way back. We might have to stay out here tonight. Or I might. Whatever."

"I am not missing a hot shower, nor I am not getting my ass kicked for you."

Reno raised his eyebrows, "Oh come on, there's no bandits or anything out here, and if there were it's not like you couldn't handle it."

"What do you think Tifa will do to me if I return without you?"

Reno rolled his eyes. "Look, it's either that or you _carry _me back, Valentine."

Vincent was tempted to roll his eyes right back at the redhead, but resisted the urge. He fastened his cape, stepped forward, and placed a hand on Reno's shoulder.

"Or," he said, "we do this."

Reno was suddenly extremely dizzy and nauseous. He shook his head to clear it and realised he was standing in Vincent's bedroom. He glared unsteadily at Vincent.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he growled, "are you telling me we coulda skipped that whole walk?"

Vincent removed his cape and laid it over the end of the bed.

"Yes. We could have." Reno opened his mouth but Vincent continued. "No, we were not."

Reno opened his mouth to argue, but realised he was far too tired to inspire another incident like the one he'd just survived. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Look," he said, "I've got dibs on the shower, but you look like you could really do with one. Come on."

Reno headed for the bathroom while Vincent set his shoes out beside the bed. Reno called out from across the hall.

"I hope you know how bad my ass hurts!"

Vincent may have been mistaken, but as he crossed the hall to join Reno in the shower, he could have sworn he heard laughter coming from the direction of Tifa's bedroom.

* * *

End Chapter XXI.


	22. Now, Tomorrow, Always XXII

**~Now, Tomorrow, Always~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie and LunarPlexus.

* * *

Vincent slowly opened his eyes. He forgot to close the curtains last night when he flopped onto his bed. Sunlight streamed through the glass and Vincent knew he had probably overslept. He raised his head and looked at Reno, who was still fast asleep.

Reno was on his back, arms splayed out. Vincent was opposite. One of his arms laid across Reno's chest. The steady heartbeat matched his own and Vincent moved his arm and brushed a thumb across Reno's lower lip, being mindful of the bite mark and bruise around the wound. The redhead didn't move and Vincent gently removed himself from the bed. He knew that Reno's body would need as much rest as possible to heal from the incident last night.

Vincent stood and closed the curtains. He didn't want Reno in a foul mood because of the sun. He looked at Cupcake, who was curled up on the bedside chest on Reno's side. He would have to consider getting her a cushion, especially if the relationship between him and Reno picked up. She would not be very comfortable with being kicked from the bed due to their nightly antics.

He went over to the closet and dropped the towel. He pulled on a pair of black jeans and a simple v neck sweater. When his claw and headband were attached, he left his bedroom silently. He had no idea what the time was but could hear someone rattling around in the kitchen.

Vincent watched as Tifa turned, two cups in her hands. She blinked and tilted her head, a sly smile on her face as she walked over to him. Vincent looked at the cups. He doubted one of those were for him. He was right when he felt another person join them. Vincent walked further into the kitchen as Tifa handed one of the cups to the third member. Vincent didn't have to look over his shoulder to know it was Rude.

Vincent made himself a cup of tea with the still hot water from the kettle. He got the feeling that Tifa and Rude were having a silent conversation with their eyes. Vincent still remembered the laughter from Tifa's room the previous night. They hadn't returned late enough for her to be asleep. He wasn't expecting Rude to be over, but when it came to Reno, that man had a sixth sense.

"Good morning, Vincent," Rude greeted and Vincent looked over his shoulder. He nodded his head at the taller man. "Is it okay if I speak to Reno?"

Vincent raised an eyebrow. Someone was stupid enough to ask permission to enter his room? Reno and Tifa were the only exceptions. "He is still sleeping."

"Has that ever stopped me before?" he asked as he stood beside Vincent. He knew the best way to soothe the beast was with a cup of coffee.

Vincent placed another cup on the counter. He made his tea and took a seat at the table. He knew that Tifa wanted to talk to him about something and it worked out well for him, also. Vincent couldn't be sure if it was about anything that happened last night or something entirely different. Tifa took a seat opposite him and they waited patiently for Rude to finish making Reno's coffee.

Tifa held her cup in her hands, nails clinking against the porcelain. Vincent took quiet sips of his tea as he stared at the woman. Straight in the eyes. She should _not _be allowed to laugh at him.

Tifa smiled after Rude as he left the room. Vincent didn't take his eyes off of her.

"So," Tifa looked down at her cup, "how did the visit go?"

"Very well."

Tifa nodded. "Did you get in late?"

Vincent took another sip of his tea. "Not particularly."

Tifa sipped at her own tea. "I hope you didn't wake the children."

"You would know before either of us."

Tifa nodded again and set her cup down on the table. There was a long moment of silence, before Tifa peered at Vincent from under her hair.

"How's Reno's ass this morning?"

Vincent stared at Tifa as she broke down into tears of laughter.

"You should speak to him about that."

Tifa only laughed harder. Vincent allowed her to have her fun. He supposed it _was _funny to everyone else. After a minute or two he grew weary. If she didn't calm down soon, she would pass out from lack of oxygen. And if she didn't stop laughing, Vincent wasn't sure if would be willing to catch her if she fell out of the chair.

"You act as though this is the first time we have done it."

Tifa fell totally silent, and her eyes widened.

"Oh, Vincent…" Tifa seemed to be at a loss for words.

Vincent chuckled at the dumbfounded look on her face.

"Shall I give you a few minutes to get over the shock?"

Tifa snapped out of it and cleared her throat.

"Well of course I knew," she took another sip of her tea, "or, I knew it was only a matter of time, anyway."

"Certainly," Vincent stated. "Everyone is a natural clairvoyant."

Tifa smiled. "So was it only sex or did it finally have some deeper meaning?"

Vincent was really regretting not killing Cloud after their horrid night together. He told Tifa everything, and while Tifa was perfectly fine with had happened, Vincent couldn't help feeling a little shallow over the fact. Of course, Tifa had just slapped him and told him to get over it.

Vincent crossed his arms on the table and lowered his gaze to the liquid in his cup. "It was more meaningful. At least, I'm hoping it was."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. Vincent had matured more than she ever thought he would. He seemed much more relaxed and hoped that the nightly actions between Vincent and Reno happened more often. She liked it when Vincent was like that.

"If I know Reno, then it probably was. He's not as shallow as people like to think he is. Besides, what I've heard from Rude, not many people get to top him." Her chuckling started up again.

"It wasn't me that topped him."

"Threesome?" Tifa blurted out for no reason. It was the first thought that popped into her head. She knew it wasn't that.

Vincent already knew the thoughts going through Tifa's head. "I guess you could say it was something like that," he answered honestly with a slight shrug.

"What the hell are you going on about? Start from the beginning. I want to know how you and Reno and some random ended up in a threesome."

"It wasn't some 'random', Tifa. It started, I guess the way you all assumed it would, with a fight. I'm not going to go into detail about it."

"What a surprise," Tifa muttered.

Vincent continued. He knew that Tifa would have her little comments and remarks that would slip into the conversation, whether he stopped or not. "We both got angry. I knew what was going to happen. I knew that there was a possibility I could kill Reno. I didn't do a thing to stop it. I let it happen. I guess I wanted to finally prove to Reno that I am the way I am for a good reason. I don't know if he noticed."

Tifa frowned. She got a sinking feeling in her stomach and she was hoping that Vincent wasn't referring to what she thought he was. "Chaos?" she whispered.

Vincent nodded. "I didn't let it out completely. There was a lot of it that I could not stop, however. I hope that I haven't caused too much damage to Reno."

Tifa reached across the table and placed a hand on Vincent's arm. She gave it a gentle squeeze. "Reno is a big boy. If he survived those dicks that beat the shit out of him, he can survive you keeping a handle on Chaos."

Vincent looked at Tifa's hand. He knew that Reno could survive anything that was thrown at him. It was one of the traits that Vincent admired most about the redhead. His stubborn will. "I understand. How am I going to explain this to him, though? If he does remember what happened, I know he will have questions."

Tifa bit her lower lip in thought. She knew that Vincent was scared of revealing that little secret of himself. He wasn't going to run and hide, though. That was a good sign. He wanted to answer Reno's questions about his personal life. Something Tifa never thought she would live to see.

"Don't lie to him. If he asks something that you don't want to answer in depth, just glaze over it. I'm sure Reno will understand if there are some things you don't want him to know about. He might be pouty about it for a little while, but he'll come to realize that there is no point trying to get it out of you." Tifa gave Vincent a reassuring smile.

Vincent knew he would have to try and brace himself for any sort of question that Reno threw at him. Providing Reno did actually ask any. Vincent smiled as he came to realize that he was finally over the fear of sex and dealing with the next day. He was worrying about something that had nothing to do with the sex. Well, it had a little to do with it. If it wasn't for the sex, the questions Vincent was dreading wouldn't come to light.

"Is that all you're worried about?" Tifa inquired. She wasn't expecting that to be the only thing. She was waiting for Vincent to do a one-eighty flip and start freaking out about the fact that he had sex, as well.

"That is all. I guess I will have to wait until Rude has spoken to him."

"I told you that Reno would be good for you, Vincent. You should listen to those around you a little more. You were like a rebellious teenager. Anyway, tell me what Reno's sister is like. I didn't even know he had any family." Tifa lent forward, grinning from ear to ear.

"Neya," Vincent began. He had no idea how to explain her. "She reminds me a lot of you. She has two children, Lily and Ivy. She has a husband and she takes care of the house. She makes sure everything is done and the meals are served on time. It seems as though there are not enough hours in the day for what you and she do. She is happy and lively, too. I am certain Reno will bring her around here, at least once, to meet everyone."

Tifa chuckled warmly. "I can't see Reno sharing something like that with the rest of us. I know he hates Cloud and wouldn't want him to see his sister. On the other hand, I would be so honored if he did that. I think you are the only other person to have met her."

They fell into a comfortable silence. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Vincent was thinking of all the questions that would be thrown at him, and thinking of ways to glaze over some of the answers. Mainly the ones to do with Chaos. Tifa was thinking of something similar to that. Actually, she wanted to know one thing.

"So, what was the sex like?"

Vincent smirked. "It was awesome."

* * *

Reno was already awake when Rude entered Vincent's room. He was sitting up in bed, cross-legged, with his chin in his hand, looking contemplative. He looked up when Rude walked in and smiled.

"Morning, Beautiful!" He sang, taking the coffee Rude was offering.

Rude grinned and sat on the end of the bed.

"Pity I can't say the same for you," Rude gestured at Reno's face, "what happened there?"

Reno smirked. He knew he probably wasn't looking too great. He could feel a bruise across the bridge of his nose from when Vincent introduced his face to the ground, and his lip hurt where it had been bitten. For the rest, he had a million scratches all over his upper body, pretty much all of them superficial, except for where his chest had been scratched, and where Vincent had sank his teeth into Reno's shoulder.

"I had a run-in with a madman on the way back from Kalm," Reno shrugged, still smirking.

Rude raised an eyebrow.

"Well, that sure looks like the work of a madman," He leaned forward and poked the place where Vincent had bitten Reno's shoulder. Hard.

Reno growled and swatted Rude's hand away, "Hey, watch it!"

"And I'm dying to know what exactly it was this madman did to your ass," Rude grinned.

Reno looked at Rude for a moment and then laughed. Rude's grin became a very wide smile.

"I guess you heard me last night, huh?"

"It was pretty hard not to. Tifa heard you too."

Reno's eyes widened. "She is going to freak out!"

It was Rude's turn to chuckle, "I'm pretty sure she's interrogating Vincent downstairs as we speak."

"Like you're up here interrogating me?" Reno asked, slyly.

"Like you're not dying to tell me." Rude responded, "And what about Neya? I'd like to hear about how the visit actually went."

Reno sipped at his coffee.

"It was great," he began, "she has a really nice little house, and really nice kids. Her hubby wasn't around but it sounds like they're pretty happy. The kids are real cute; they look just like her. She was really excited to see me, and she took a real liking to Vincent. She really tried to kill us with kindness, and a whole lotta food."

Rude smiled and nodded.

"It looks like she's got a good life now," Reno continued, "and I've decided I'm gonna be in it a bit more."

Rude patted Reno on the knee, glad to hear him say it.

"What about Vincent," he enquired, "did he enjoy it?"

Reno sipped his coffee again.

"Seemed to, but then he got all weird on the way back."

"Yes," Rude poked Reno's bite-mark again, "that seems like pretty weird behaviour to me."

Reno punched Rude in the arm.

"Stop it!" he barked, "He didn't just bite me outta the blue, you jerk! We had a fight."

Rude shook his head, not surprised.

"Okay," Reno sighed, "you want the juicy stuff, right?"

"Not _too _juicy."

"Well," Reno chugged the last of his coffee, "he wasn't listening to anything I was saying, and that pissed me off, and then he made some stupid comment. You know, being _him_ again. So I threw something back at him, and it went back and forth until he went _way _too far, and I attacked him."

Rude shook his head again. Reno was being really vague, but it seemed obvious that these comments had been very personal ones, and Reno was clearly not going to disclose any private things he may know about Vincent. He was also not surprised that Reno had been the one who turned it physical.

"So how far did you get?"

Reno shrugged.

"I got him in the face twice. Then he did his stupid teleporting-thing, sneaky bastard. Then this happened." Reno pointed to his own face.

Rude looked a little confused.

"Then where did all that come from?" he gestured to the rest of Reno's body.

Reno almost blushed.

"Come on," he said, "you heard me shouting about my ass hurting last night!"

Rude cleared his throat.

"I pretty much dared him to do it, and…well, he really did."

Rude looked at his shoes.

"I'm not sure how I feel about you being involved with a man who wants to do things like _that_ to you in bed, Reno."

Reno shook his head this time.

"We were both really pissed and pretty outta control. This was the first time it was like this."

Rude looked sharply at Reno.

"Yeah," Reno answered his look, "a couple of nights ago too. That was different. I don't think this is gonna happen again."

Rude sighed.

"Everyone knows all about this, Reno. You and Vincent are the most interesting thing going on around here at the moment."

"It's the most interesting thing to me right now," Reno laughed, "I've got some big questions for that creepy bastard. Especially after last night."

"I would have thought you'd have asked them after the first time."

"I did," Reno sighed, "he totally copped out. Said it was a mistake, blah, blah, blah. But I'm not letting him off the hook now, not after a second time."

"_And _he topped you," Rude interjected.

"What makes you think that?" Reno bristled.

"Why else would your ass hurt?"

"Okay, fine," Reno rolled his eyes, "he topped me. He better not think he can do that all the time, or we'll have a problem."

Rude laughed. He knew Reno was a dominant person, and he had heard plenty about his bedroom antics. Rude had laughed right along with Tifa last night when they heard Reno shout out, but mostly at the idea of Reno playing sub. He had said as much to Tifa, and she had fallen into a fit of giggles that lasted nearly ten minutes.

"Does he want to do it again?" Rude enquired.

Reno was silent for a moment. He glanced down at the wound on his shoulder, and heard Vincent speaking.

"_Don't forget that you belong to me."_

"He does." Reno said quietly

Reno looked at Rude.

"But whether or not he will is a whole different story. He's a really strange man, Rude. I don't know what happened to him to make him this way, but I've never met anyone so closed off. He's not hard to suss out, he's so predictable and it's easy to tell what he's really feeling, but he just won't admit to any of it. I wouldn't give a shit if I knew he didn't care about me, if I knew there wasn't any future for us. I'm no pussy; I could take it and move on."

Rude listened in silence.

"But I _know _that's not true, and nothing he says can convince me it is. He hasn't let me stick around this long because he's playing a game. He wasn't just having a laugh when he took care of me after I got bashed. And we're not just friends who fuck. There's other things…"

Reno thought back to last night. After they'd showered, Vincent had joined Reno in bed. He'd stayed strictly on the other side of it, and Reno had been far too exhausted to care. He'd woken up later on in the night though, and Vincent had had his arms around him.

"I don't even need him to tell me how he feels, I know. I don't have any doubt. I only want to know why he can't tell me, and let me tell him. I want him to stop backing away from this whole thing. He's either in, or he's out. He can't keep going half way on this."

Reno set his cup on the nightstand.

"Rude," he said, "if he chickens out on me this time, I don't think I'll ever respect him again."

Rude understood completely.

"Neither will I."

Reno grinned again, and clambered out of bed. Rude was accustomed to seeing Reno in his underwear, and wasn't bothered. Reno stretched with a flinch, and located his pants. He looked at Rude as he struggled into them.

"It was pretty fucking hot."

"Your neck is all bruised, Reno."

Reno picked up a shirt.

"Yeah, he stepped on it."

"During your fight?"

Reno cocked an eyebrow as he buttoned up his shirt.

"No, when he stripped."

Rude raised a hand.

"I _don't _want to know, Reno."

* * *

End Now, Tomorrow, Always.

**Aerys:** Yeah, so I know I said that there would be no hiatus for this story, and that there would be long delays in the updates. But the fact is, I do believe that Lunar and I have drifted apart. Some things just aren't what they used to be. We both have different lives, and different circles that we're running in. And this is being done because of my own decision to remove this story. As much as I love it, I just find that it is unfair on all our loyal followers that it has been discontinued. There might be another time where we upload it, if things get better between the pair of us. So I will be taking it down on the 15th of December, as a kind of memorial of when it was first put up - five years ago.  
I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been following this story for the last five years. I never thought this day would come, especially after all the fights and arguments that Lunar and I got into while writing this. I swear they say it's true that when writing you put more of yourself into the works. And we put a lot of ourselves into this story, which is probably why so many of you found it hilarious. I also hope that you found it a little heartwarming, and endearing. I know you did, as so many of you have stuck by our sides during the best and worst of times. The ones that had been there from the beginning, when we had our rocky start, to the ones that joined not that long ago when it was getting better - each and every one of you are special to us, and you always be.

So with all of that said, this chapter of my life is finished. This story will be nothing but a memory to me, Lunar and everyone who had the joy of reading it. Lord knows we _loved_ reading your reviews. We would stay up all night to finish a chapter, post it and then wait for the reviews to come flooding in. And even more than that, we _loved_ writing it for you.  
So please feel free to make a copy of this story. If even one person still thinks about it, then at least it is alive somewhere.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you everyone that reviewed. Thank you for always sticking by our sides. And thank you for not deserting us when we would disappear for months at a time.

With all my love,  
Aerys Krystie.


End file.
